Haryana approves final DPR of Metro Rail Connection

The Haryana Cabinet has granted approval to the final DPR of the Metro Rail Connection that is meant to provide Metro connectivity to the residents of old Gurugram. The project, costing Rs 6821.13 crore, has a total length of 28.8 km with 6 interchange sections and 27 elevated stations. Starting at the HUDA City Centre, the link will move towards Sector 45, Cyber Park, District Shopping Centre, Sector 47, Subhash Chowk, Sector 48, Sector 72 A, Hero Honda Chowk, Udyog Vihar Phase 6, Sector 10, Sector 37, Basai village, Sector 9, Sector 7, Sector 4, Sector 5, Ashok Vihar, Sector 3, Bajghera Road, Palam Vihar Extension, Palam Vihar, Sector 23 A, Sector 22, Udyog Vihar Phase 4, Udyog Vihar Phase 5 and finally merge in the existing metro network of Rapid Metrorail Gurugram, at Moulsar Avenue station near Cyber City. As reported, the mass rapid transit system (MRTP) linkages are being constructed in order to augment the competence and efficiency of the transportation system in the National Capital Region (NCR). Facilitating the maximum part of Gurugram, it will interchange with the MRTS Corridor at Subhash Chowk, with Bus Stand at Sector 10, with Railway Station at Sector 5 and with Rapid Metro at Moulsar Avenue Station. The MRTS Corridor at Subhash Chowk will interchange with the Yellow Line at HUDA City Centre and therefore, will provide direct connectivity to a large part of Gurugram with Delhi. It will also interchange with RRTS stations at Hero Honda Chowk and Sector -22 and will provide connectivity up to Sarai Kale Khan (SKK), New Delhi side, and on one Shahjahanpur, Neemrana and Behror (SNB), Rajasthan on the other side.The corridor is expected to have a daily ridership of 5.43 lakh passengers for the year 2021, 7.26 lakh passengers for the year 2031, and 8.81 lakh passengers for 2041. Apart from connecting Gurugram via Metros, the project has a number of consequential social benefits. The project will lead to the overall reduction in the usage of private vehicles including buses, causing a reduction in accidents, road maintenance costs, vehicle operating costs, fuel consumption, and travel time of the passengers. The project is expected to get completed by 2025, as reported.  In September 2019, a joint survey was conducted by the RITES and the School of Planning and Architecture (SPA) for the same, which was further edited to prepare the final DPR. The project will contribute towards the formation of the second metro system located in Gurugram, The Yellow Line is the first one. Built by the Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Service Limited, the Yellow Line is the world’s first metro to be completely financed and constructed by the Government. However, the responsibility of the operations has now been taken up by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) due to a lack of funds. The line was built as a loop around DLF Cyber City in the first phase. It went deeper into the city in a southward direction in the next phase. It was built using 1435 mm tracks, 750 V direct current via and the third rail three coach trains.On January 28 this year, when 11.5 km of the Nagpur Metro Aqua Line was thrown open to the public, it was one of the fastest constructions of a metro-rail project. In little less than a span of five years, Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation (Maha Metro), had started passenger services on about 25 km of the total project length of 38 km. Earlier, Maha Metro had inaugurated passenger services on the Orange Line between its two stations of Sitabuldi Interchange and Khapri Metro Station. The disruption caused by the nationwide lockdown for the containment of the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent workers’ exodus from cities back to their homes will result in technology playing an even bigger role in the execution of the metro rail projects.