PM Inaugurates Red Line Extension To Ghaziabad; Services Start On Saturday

After much dilly-dallying, the Dilshad Garden-Ghaziabad Metro line, also known as the Red Line Extension, was flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 8. 

PropGuide lists some facts on the Ghaziabad Metro network:

Project: An agreement was signed between the GDA and the DMRC in 2014 for development of this Metro line. The elevated corridor under Phase-III of the Delhi Metro spans a length of 9.41 km. It will include eight stations - Shahid Nagar, Raj Bagh, Major Mohit Sharma Rajendra Nagar, Shyam Park, Mohan Nagar, Arthala, Hindon and Shaheed Sthal. 

Cost: The project has been developed at a cost of nearly Rs 2,210 crore with about Rs 1,479.6 crore shared between various agencies based on the funding pattern approved by the UP cabinet. The share allocation for the various agencies are Rs 695.8 crore for the GDA, Rs 246.35 crore for the GMC, Rs 440.45 crore for the UP Awas Vikas Parishad and Rs 97 crore for the UPSIDC.

Delays: While the GDA has been prompt in submitting its share, which includes Rs 80 crore on land, the other agencies have been slow and have been asked to pay in installments. In December last year, Avas Vikas and the UPSIDC had offered nearly Rs 120 crore and Rs 13.3 crore, respectively. This delay in funding has been one of the key factors, besides issues in land acquisition, that extended the project deadline by a year.

Related developments: An elevated road of 10.3 km from the UP Gate to Raj Nagar Extension is set to be launched soon based on the Transit-Oriented Development (TOD). Also, three flyovers will be constructed in Vasundhara, Hapur Chungi and Rajnagar Extension. It is aimed at easing the traffic on the busy stretches and curtail travel time.

Advantages: The proposed Metro connectivity will not just help Delhi-Ghaziabad commuters skip the congested roads of Uttar Pradesh but also enable faster travel. This will also boost the growth of new residential and commercial properties around the Metro stations, marking a new chapter in Ghaziabad’s growth story.