Phase-III completion to take metro span to over 350 km, ridership to 40 lakh: Survey

The total operational span of the Delhi Metro network will expand to over 350 km after completion of its Phase-III project, which would also enhance the daily average ridership of the mass rapid transit system to nearly 40 lakh, according to the latest economic survey of the city released today.

The estimated cost of Phase-III is Rs 39,784.56 crore. The Delhi government has released Rs 1,333.77 crore (Rs 323.27 crore equity; Rs 39.50 crore against subordinate debt for land acquisition, Rs 300.00 crore has been released as subordinate debt towards sales tax and Rs 671 crore as subordinate debt for central taxes) to the DMRC during 2016-17 towards the Phase-III, the survey states.

With the opening of the Pink Line's Majlis Park-Durgabai Deshmukh South Campus corridor of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) last week, the current operational length stands at over 252 km.

"At present, the average ridership of Delhi metro is 28 lakh per day which is further expected to increase up to 40 lakh per day after completion of DMRC's Phase-III," stated the Economic Survey of Delhi 2017-18.

The total existing network of Phase-I and Phase-II is 190.03 km (including the National Capital Region). The work for Phase-III was approved for 160.586 km and is likely to be completed by December 2018, it said.

"The total network will be approximately 350.616 km (including NCR) after completion of the Phase-III work. The average daily ridership increased from 26 lakh during 2015-16 to 28 lakh during 2016-17, which will further be enhanced to 40 lakh after completion of the Phase-III. The work on Phase-IV is under consideration and is likely to start soon," it said.

Also, out of the nearly 160 km network approved by the cabinet for the Delhi-NCR, work on extension of Green Line from Mundka to Tikri Border is expected to be completed by May this year. The Dwarka-Najafgarh corridor spanning nearly 4.3 km is projected to be finished by December.

"Phase-III and additional corridors of 160.586 km route length with 109 stations (including 42.192 km of route length with 30 stations of NCR) are planned to be completed by December 2018 (except Extension to Dhansa Bus Stand, targeted to be completed by 2020). Phase IV is under consideration of the government," it said.

On feeder bus services, run by the DMRC to facilitate commuters to reach or depart from several metro stations, the survey said, at present, 517 mini buses on 93 metro feeder routes are to be inducted out of which 291 buses are operating on 43 routes. All buses are fitted with GPS navigators, according to the survey.