Delhi Metro Magenta Line: Construction Starts On 10 New Stations
In a move that boost the connectivity in the north-west part of the national capital, construction work started on December 30, 2019, to build 10 stations of the 28.92-km Janakpuri West-RK Ashram Marg metro corridor.
The ground-breaking ceremony was held at Haider Badli Mor for the extension of the already operational Magenta Line of the Delhi Metro. Authorities expect the work on the project to be finished within 30 months. Localities that are set to have to a Metro station on this route include Keshopur, Paschim Vihar, Peeragarhi, Mangolpuri, West Enclave, Pushpanjali, Deepali Chowk, Madhuban Chowk, Prashant Vihar and North Pitampura.
While the Peeragarhi station would be developed as an interchange station for the Green Line, Madhuban Chowk and Haiderpur Badli Mor would connect the Magenta Line with the Red and the Yellow Line, respectively.
The entire Janakpuri West-RK Ashram Marg corridor also has interchange facilities at Majlis Park (Pink Line) , Azadpur (Yellow Line) and R K Ashram Marg (with Blue Line) .
The Magenta Line currently connects Botanical Garden in Noida with Kalkaji Mandir in south Delhi and Janakpuri in west Delhi via Hauz Khas.
Here are some interesting facts about the Metro route:
Driverless technology
The trains plying on this corridor will use new-generation driverless technology, the first-of-its-kind signalling system called the Communication Based Train Control (CBTC) . However, for the initial two-three years, the trains will have drivers.
Extended connectivity
The first phase of the Magenta Line of the Delhi Metro spanned 12.64 km, and had nine stations. These stations included Botanical Garden, Okhla Bird Sanctuary, Kalindi Kunj, Jasola Vihar Shaheen Bagh, Okhla Vihar, Jamia Milia Islamia, Sukhdev Vihar, Okhla NSIC and Kalkaji Mandir. The line will cut down the travel time for those travelling to Faridabad, Noida and Gurgaon. Once the line is complete there will be three interchangeable stations – Kalkaji Mandir (Violet Line) , Hauz Khas (Yellow Line) and Janakpuri West (Blue Line) .
The stretch, once extended to Janakpuri, will be a 38.23-km corridor.
Passengers first
The waiting time at the platforms on this new corridor will be reduced from the average two minutes to 90 seconds. This line will also see automated platform screen doors at every station, just like the Airport Express Metro Line. All trains on this route will be Wi-Fi enabled, have USB ports and backrest for the wheelchair travellers.
Trivia about the date
PM Narendra Modi will be inaugurating the new Metro on Christmas which is also the birth anniversary of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. This is also the 15th anniversary of the Delhi Metro's Red Line that runs from Dilshad Garden to Rithala. The line became operational in 2002 on this day.