Delhi Metro's blue line extension to conclude at Sahibabad

21 Dec 2023 CW Team

According to the DMRC report, the Sahibabad metro station will be constructed opposite the existing Sahibabad Rapid Rail station in Vasundhara. The two stations, situated on either side of Link Road, will be linked by a foot overbridge. This design enables seamless transit for passengers between the Blue Line and the Delhi-Meerut Rapid Rail corridor without requiring them to exit the premises.

The initial report for extending the Blue Line to Sahibabad was submitted by DMRC in 2018, and over subsequent years, the plan underwent multiple revisions, primarily aimed at reducing project costs. As construction work began on the Rapid Rail's alignment, DMRC was tasked with devising a plan to integrate the Sahibabad stations.

The current emphasis is on multi-modal integration, as stated by Manvendra Singh, Chief Engineer at Ghaziabad Development Authority. The 5.2 km metro route will conclude at Sahibabad and integrate with the Namo Bharat station on the opposite side of Link Road.

The proposed metro route, according to the DMRC report, will include five stations through Indirapuram and Vasundhara: Vaibhav Khand, DPS Indirapuram, Shakti Khand, Vasundhara Sector 5, and Sahibabad. The route, elevated throughout, will traverse Vasundhara, requiring no land acquisition, with pillars erected along road medians.

The other arm of the Blue Line, connecting Dwarka to Vaishali, will also interface with the Rapid Rail, specifically at Anand Vihar in Delhi. The Vaishali station is conveniently close to Rapid Rail's Sahibabad station on the same Link Road.

To facilitate funding, the UP government has devised a cost-sharing formula, committing 80% of the metro route's estimated expenditure of Rs 15.17 billion through its agencies. The GDA and the Housing Board will equally share the state government's committed funds, while the remaining 20% will be sourced from the Centre.

Past disagreements on fund-sharing among agencies had hindered the progress of the metro extension. Initially, the plan called for the UP government to cover 50% of the project cost, with the Centre contributing 20%, and other agencies like GDA, Housing Board, and the municipal corporation covering the remaining 30%. However, this plan was rejected by the state government.

Facing a financial crunch, GDA is now considering obtaining a loan from the NCR Planning Board to fulfil its share of the funding, according to Singh.

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has put forth a revised route proposal to extend the Blue Line from Noida Electronic City. The updated plan suggests integrating the last proposed station at Sahibabad with the Rapid Rail station in that vicinity. According to the DMRC report, the Sahibabad metro station will be constructed opposite the existing Sahibabad Rapid Rail station in Vasundhara. The two stations, situated on either side of Link Road, will be linked by a foot overbridge. This design enables seamless transit for passengers between the Blue Line and the Delhi-Meerut Rapid Rail corridor without requiring them to exit the premises. The initial report for extending the Blue Line to Sahibabad was submitted by DMRC in 2018, and over subsequent years, the plan underwent multiple revisions, primarily aimed at reducing project costs. As construction work began on the Rapid Rail's alignment, DMRC was tasked with devising a plan to integrate the Sahibabad stations. The current emphasis is on multi-modal integration, as stated by Manvendra Singh, Chief Engineer at Ghaziabad Development Authority. The 5.2 km metro route will conclude at Sahibabad and integrate with the Namo Bharat station on the opposite side of Link Road. The proposed metro route, according to the DMRC report, will include five stations through Indirapuram and Vasundhara: Vaibhav Khand, DPS Indirapuram, Shakti Khand, Vasundhara Sector 5, and Sahibabad. The route, elevated throughout, will traverse Vasundhara, requiring no land acquisition, with pillars erected along road medians. The other arm of the Blue Line, connecting Dwarka to Vaishali, will also interface with the Rapid Rail, specifically at Anand Vihar in Delhi. The Vaishali station is conveniently close to Rapid Rail's Sahibabad station on the same Link Road. To facilitate funding, the UP government has devised a cost-sharing formula, committing 80% of the metro route's estimated expenditure of Rs 15.17 billion through its agencies. The GDA and the Housing Board will equally share the state government's committed funds, while the remaining 20% will be sourced from the Centre. Past disagreements on fund-sharing among agencies had hindered the progress of the metro extension. Initially, the plan called for the UP government to cover 50% of the project cost, with the Centre contributing 20%, and other agencies like GDA, Housing Board, and the municipal corporation covering the remaining 30%. However, this plan was rejected by the state government. Facing a financial crunch, GDA is now considering obtaining a loan from the NCR Planning Board to fulfil its share of the funding, according to Singh.