New Delhi, Jun 23 (PTI) Construction work on the Central Secretariat Metro station, a key stop on the proposed Central Vista Metro corridor connecting R K Ashram Marg and Indraprastha under the extension of Delhi Metro’s Magenta Line, will commence on Wednesday, officials said.
According to the official, the construction work will begin at Gate 3 of Central Secretariat Metro station in the presence of Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal and Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta.
The new station will form part of the R K Ashram Marg–Indraprastha corridor, an extension of the Magenta Line, aimed at improving metro connectivity to the redeveloped Central Vista area and major government offices along the Kartavya Path.
Approved by the Centre
in December last year, the 9.91 km corridor is expected to provide direct metro access to the Kartavya Bhawans and other administrative complexes in Central Delhi. The project is likely to benefit around 60,000 office-goers and nearly two lakh visitors daily by offering doorstep connectivity to the area.
The R K Ashram Marg–Indraprastha section is one of three corridors cleared under Delhi Metro’s Phase-V(A) project, which spans 16.07 km and involves an estimated investment of around Rs 12,000 crore.
The project is being funded by the Centre, the Delhi government and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
According to official details, the corridor will have stations at R K Ashram Marg, Shivaji Stadium, Central Secretariat, Kartavya Bhawan, India Gate, War Memorial–High Court, Baroda House, Bharat Mandapam and Indraprastha.
Expected to strengthen connectivity between West, North and Old Delhi and the Central Vista area, the corridor will also ease dependence on road transport. Authorities have said the metro expansion will help reduce traffic congestion, lower vehicular emissions and improve overall urban mobility.
The Phase-V(A) project also includes extensions from Aerocity to IGD Airport Terminal-1 and from Tughlakabad to Kalindi Kunj, aimed at improving connectivity between south Delhi and the domestic airport.
Delhi Metro currently operates a network of about 395 km across Delhi-NCR with 289 stations. The system records an average ridership of around 65 lakh passenger journeys daily and remains one of the largest metro networks in the world. PTI SHB SHS
