State approves Rs 2,682 crore Noida-Greater Noida Metro extension line

Noida, India (Urban Transport News): The Government of Uttar Pradesh has given its approval for Rs 2,682 crore Noida-Greater Noida Metro extension project for expansion of the metro network in Noida. The approval was given by the state cabinet in a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in last week. The 15-km stretch will extend the existing Noida Metro Rail network (Aqua Line) from Noida Sector 71 to Knowledge Park V in the Greater Noida area.

The project is expected to complete in three years i.e. at the end of 2022. According to officials, the project work is likely to start in three months as the government has considered it a priority corridor. Construction work on the Noida-Greater Noida Metro extension will be completed in two phases. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) will assist in designing and preparing the tender documents while the construction, execution and project contract management will be carried out by the Noida Metro Rail Corporation (NMRC). Explaining the project, Ritu Maheshwari, Managing Director of NMRC and CEO of Noida Authority said:

The cabinet has approved the extension of Aqua Line, which will benefit lakhs of passengers travelling to and from Noida, Greater Noida and Delhi. We will start construction within three months after all formalities are over and we hope that the first metro will run along this line in 2023.

The officials are expecting that the extended route will have an initial daily ridership of at least 1 lakh passengers. “With the population increasing and more people travelling to Delhi, we know that the line will see a much higher footfall than the existing Aqua Line,” said PD Upadhyay, Spokesperson, NMRC.

Project Summary

• Project Cost: Rs 2,682 crore
• Length of the corridor: 15 km
• No. of Station: 9
• Station Names: Sectors 122, Sector 123, Greater Noida Sector 4, Ecotech 12, Greater Noida Sector 2, Greater Noida Sector 3, Greater Noida Sector 10, Greater Noida Sector 12 and Knowledge Park V.

Phase 1: In the first phase, the corridor will be 9.6 km long with 5 stations viz. Sectors 122, Sector 123, Greater Noida Sector 4, Ecotech 12 and Greater Noida Sector 2. The first phase will cost Rs 1,064 crore. Phase 2: The second phase will be a 5.3 km-long corridor with four stations — Greater Noida Sector 3, Greater Noida Sector 10, Greater Noida Sector 12 and Knowledge Park V. Talking about the fare Maheshwari said:

The fare on the new line will be similar to that of Aqua Line. We will also be looking at raising the non-fare box revenue through parking space, co-branding and property development.

Rolling Stock

Earlier, the NMRC also explored the option of playing a Metrolite system in the new line. But the idea was dropped as there is a scope for extension of the existing line and hence, it would be more viable to continue with the conventional metro plan than to create a Metrolite system from scratch.