"Budget 2024 Proposes Rs. 7,500 Crore Delhi Metro Corridor Connecting Haryana and UP"

In the forthcoming interim budget presentation on February 1, the Central Government is anticipated to announce a new Delhi Metro corridor project connecting Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, as reported by Moneycontrol on Thursday. The estimated cost of the project is Rs. 7,500 crore, spanning from Rithala in Delhi to Kundli in Haryana. An official stated that the detailed project report (DPR) has been submitted, and the approval process is in its final stages.

This proposed project marks the sixth and final corridor of the Delhi Metro's Phase IV initiative. According to the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), Phase IV includes five additional corridors: Janakpuri West to R.K Ashram, Tughlakabad to Delhi Aerocity, and Majlis Park to Maujpur, which are currently under implementation. The other two corridors are Inderlok - Indraprastha and Lajpat Nagar to Saket G Block.

Work on the Delhi Metro Phase IV commenced in December 2019 but faced delays due to the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. In November, DMRC Chief Vikas Kumar indicated that the first section of the Phase IV corridor is expected to open by July 2024. Kumar also mentioned that the entire Majlis Park-Maujpur corridor is planned to be operational by March 2025, along with a small segment of the Janakpuri West-R K Ashram Marg corridor.

Celebrating 21 years of operation since its inception in 2002, the Delhi Metro has significantly expanded its network, now encompassing 288 stations with a 393 km stretch. The public transport system achieved a milestone on December 24, recording the highest-ever passenger journeys of 7 million on September 4 last year."

BS