Kalkaji-botanical Garden Metro section gets safety clearance

NEW DELHI: The Kalkaji Mandir-botanical Garden corridor of the Delhi Metro, which will reduce travel time between Noida and south Delhi, has been granted a necessary safety approval, authorities said on Sunday.

The section likely to open this month-end will be the metro's first-ever corridor to use Communication Based Train Control (CBTC) signalling technology that will facilitate movement of trains with a frequency of 90 to 100 seconds.

The Commissioner for Metro Rail Safety (CMRS) has granted the necessary approval for the 12.64-km section after inspecting the stretch from November 13-15, the Delhi Metro said.

"However, the approval is conditional and based on the compliance of some more requirements. The exact date of opening of the corridor will be intimated after the compliance of all the requirements specified by the CMRS," a release from the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) said.

Currently, for travelling to south Delhi areas, commuters from Noida have to change trains, from Blue Line to Violet Line, at Mandi House Metro Station. After the new section of the Delhi Metro is opened, commuters will be able to travel directly to Kalkaji Mandir Metro Station, which is on the Violet Line. Once the entire corridor from Botanical Garden till Janakpuri West (38.23km) is opened, commuters from Noida will be able to go to Gurgaon by changing trains at Hauz Khas. The Botanical Garden has been developed as the metros first-ever inter-change station outside the boundaries of Delhi.