Delhi Metro is one of the largest metros in the country. Phase 3 of Delhi Metro has taken its total length to a mammoth 390 km. However, two key sections were missing for a long time since the Phase 3 expansion of Delhi Metro concluded, causing inconvenience among commuters.
One of the sections was in the longest line of the Delhi Metro, the Pink Line, which runs from Majlis Park to Shiv Vihar in a U-shaped pattern along the busy Ring Road of Delhi. The Pink Line of Delhi metro acted as two different corridors from Majlis Park to Mayur Vihar Pocket-I and Shiv Vihar to Trilokpuri. Due to land acquisition problems, a short section of around 1.5 km viaduct was missing between Mayur Vihar Pocket-I and Trilokpuri. Land acquisition was a major hurdle that couldn’t be bypassed. After waiting for several years, the affected residents have been allocated to flats in a different location. The construction of the missing link is now complete, and the gap between the two sections have been bridged.
The other section was in the shortest line of the Delhi Metro, the Grey Line, which runs from Dwarka to Najafgarh. The Grey Line is now further extended by a 1.2 km underground section to Dhansa Bus Stand, which is the terminal station of this line. The underground stretch required a longer time than overground stretches, and hence it took Delhi Metro several years to complete this short stretch. The grey line had other challenges like the Najafgarh metro station, which is dumbbell-shaped due to unavailability of land, and a joint broad gauge and standard gauge depot at Najafgarh. However, the underground stretch proved time-consuming, for which the Grey Line ran from Dwarka to Najafgarh only in its inauguration. The extension to Dhansa Bus Stand will be beneficial for those who live in western parts of Delhi.
Both the missing links will be inaugurated on 6th August 2021, that is tomorrow. It will add a small length to the vast network of Delhi Metro, but the extensions will benefit a large number of commuters. The number of commuters will not drastically increase due to Covid-19 restrictions. As of now, people are asked to put on maks while travelling in Delhi Metro, maintain social distancing and follow Covid-19 protocols. However, Delhi Metro is running across the full length of the network, ensuring the convenience of all travellers and commuters. This extension will formally complete the Delhi Metro Phase-3 as the Delhi Metro move on to its futuristic Phase-4.
Written by – Himadri Paul