Delhi metro to ring in Lajpat Nagar to Mayur Vihar line on New Year's eve

The Delhi Metro has a New Year gift for its riders, as the 9.7-km Lajpat Nagar-Mayur Vihar Pocket 1 corridor of the Pink Line is all set to be opened for public on December 31.

The section, which has five stations, three underground and two elevated, was Monday inspected by the Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety (CMRS), who has accorded the mandatory approval for the commencement of passenger operations, a senior DMRC official said.

"This extension of the Delhi Metro's Pink Line will be formally flagged off by Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Hardeep Singh Puri and Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on December 31 at 11 AM from Metro Bhawan.

"Passenger services will commence on this section on the same day from 4 PM onwards," the official said.

The new segment is part of the 59-km-long Pink Line, which spans from Majlis Park to Shiv Vihar. It is part of the Phase-III of the DMRC network.

The five stations are -- Lajpat Nagar, Vinobapuri, Ashram, Hazrat Nizamuddin, Mayur Vihar Ph-I and Mayur Vihar Pocket-1.

Mayur Vihar Ph-I and Mayur Vihar Pocket-1 are elevated stations, the official said.

The DMRC also tweeted about the scheduled opening, "Mark your calendars! Pink Line extension from Lajpat Nagar to Mayur Vihar Pocket 1 will begin operations from 4 PM on 31st December 2018. The section will connect Lajpat Nagar and Mayur Vihar Pocket 1 through Vinoba Puri, Ashram, Hazrat Nizamuddin and Mayur Vihar 1. #DelhiMetro".

The DMRC started its first ever operations in 2002 and currently its network span 317 km with 231 stations.

The Delhi Metro on December 24 had inaugurated an exhibition in the upper area of the foyer of Rajiv Chowk station, on completion of 16 years of its operations.

Former prime minister late Atal Bihari Vajpayee had inaugurated the DMRC's first-ever corridor -- 8.2-km stretch between Tis Hazari and Shahdara stations of the Red Line -- on December 24, 2002, fulfilling a long-cherished dream of the capital city.

The official said, as part of Phase-IV of the DMRC, a 103 km-long project has been proposed and Delhi Metro will continue to serve people with greater amenities and

efficiency.

On December 20, the DMRC had also launched its Twitter account, which now has over 3,570 followers.