PM may open two Metro sections this week

With only a few days to go before the election Code of Conduct comes into force, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to inaugurate two Delhi Metro sections on two consecutive days, March 9 and the other probably a few days later, sources said on Wednesday.

The Commissioner of Rail Safety on Wednesday gave the green light to the Noida City Centre-Noida Electronic City extension of the Dwarka-Noida Blue Line, which will be opened to public soon.

The stretch was earlier slated to be opened on March 9, but hours after the announcement was made, the DMRC postponed the inauguration without citing any reason.

"Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety S.K Pathak has accorded the mandatory approval for the commencement of passenger operations on the 6.675-km-long Noida City Centre-Noida Electronic City section of the Blue Line of Delhi Metro.

"Passenger services on the section will be started on 9th March, 2019 at 8 a.m following the formal inauguration of this section and the Dilshad Garden - Shaheed Sthal (New Bus Adda) corridor on 8th March, 2019," the Delhi Metro Rail Corp had said in its original statement which was revised later.

According to the revised communique, the Dilshad Garden-New Bus Adda section of the Red Line, an extention, will tentatively be opened on March 9 at 8 a.m.

"The time and date for the commencement of services on the NOIDA City Centre - NOIDA Electronic City Metro section may undergo a change. The revised time and date shall be intimated tomorrow. Services on the Dilshad Garden-Shaheed Sthal (New Bus Adda) section will tentatively commence from 8 am on 9th March," the Delhi Metro Rail Corp said in a revised statement.

Sources have told IANS that Modi will inaugurate the Dilshad Garden-Bus Adda section, on the said date.

The date for opening of 6.67-km Noida section is yet to be confirmed by the public transporter. The changes have, for all apparent reasons, been made to commensurate with PM's schedule.

The Noida section will have six elevated stations: Noida Sector 34, Sector 52, Sector 61, Sector 59, Sector 62 and Noida Electronic City Metro stations.

Although the opening of the section will improve Delhi-Noida connectivity, the enterprise will still be frustrated to the extent that Noida's own 29-km-long Aqua Line will not have an interchange station with the Blue Line, and the passengers will still be required to leave station on one line to get on the other.

On Monday, Modi inaugurated the first phase of Ahmedabad Metro and travelled by it.

--IANS

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