Pink Line, connecting 4 markets, to open soon
EASY ROUTE The 8.1km section will have six stations — five underground and one elevated
NEW DELHI: The Delhi Metro is all set to start the much-awaited Durgabai Deshmukh South Campus-lajpat Nagar section of the Pink Line. The section, which received clearance from the commissioner of metro rail safety (CMRS) on Thursday, will be inaugurated any time in the coming days after final formalities are completed, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) said.
In a preview of the section to the media on Friday, DMRC officials said the 8.1km section of the line will have six stations — Sir Vishweshwariah Moti Bagh, Bhikaji Cama Place, Sarojini Nagar, INA, South Extension and Lajpat Nagar. All of these stations, except Moti Bagh, will be underground in this section.
“After the opening of this corridor, the Pink Line will become a 29.66-km stretch. The remaining portion of the line will be opened in two phases, and the entire Pink Line will be operational by September this year,” said Anuj Dayal, executive director (corporate communications), DMRC.
Though a comparatively smaller stretch, the opening of this section will come as a relief for commuters around south Delhi, who will now be able to access four popular markets through this line.
Shoppers will now be able to ditch long traffic snarls at the Ring Road to reach Sarojini Nagar, INA, South Extension and Lajpat Nagar.
“These markets ( Sarojini Nagar and South Extension) had no Metro connectivity till now. Though these locations are connected by buses, parking continues to be a major hassle for shoppers,” the DMRC said in an official statement.
This section will also provide better connectivity within the Metro network.
The existing Lajpat Nagar and INA Metro stations have been turned into interchange facilities, which will connect Kashmere Gate-escorts Mujesar (Violet Line) and Huda City CentreSamaypur Badli (Yellow Line)
WITH THE OPENING OF THE SECTION, THE DELHI METRO NETWORK
WILL BE AROUND
296 KILOMETRES LONG Durgabai Deshmukh South Campus-lajpat Nagar
8.10 km
with the Pink Line.
Though the section will be a boon for commuters, the construction of this had its share of challenges, the DMRC maintained.
Dayal said the biggest test was the conversion of the existing stations at INA and Lajpat Nagar into interchange facilities.
“When we are working on a station which is already operational, we run the risk of damaging the existing structures and disrupting operations. All this had to be kept in mind during construction,” said Dayal.
With the opening of the section, the Delhi Metro network will be become 296 km long. In 2018 itself, the DMRC has opened 57 km under the phase-iii of the Metro. Sir Vishweshwaraih Moti Bagh Bhikaji Cama Place
Sarojini Nagar
INA
South Extension
Lajpat Nagar
After the completion of this corridor, the Majlis Park-lajpat Nagar section will become 29.66-kilometre long
58.59 km 06 (Five underground, one elevated) Lajpat Nagar–shiv Vihar (28.93 kms)
Lajpat Nagar (with Kashmere Gate–escorts Mujesar, Violet Line) and INA (with Samaypur BADLI–HUDA City Centre, Yellow Line)