NEW DELHI: Minister of state (I/C) Hardeep Singh Puri and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal flagged off the DDSC-Lajpat Nagar section of Delhi Metro’s Pink Line on Monday. The newly-inaugurated section has six stations five underground and one elevated. Sir Vishweshariah Moti Bagh, Bhikaji Cama Place, Sarojini Nagar, INA, South Extension and Lajpat Nagar. All five stations except Moti Bagh are underground.
INA and Lajpat Nagar are also interchange stations for the Yellow Line and the Violet Line respectively.
With a length of 59 km, Majlis Park to Shiv Vihar is the longest metro route with 38 stations. All six stations are platinum rated by Indian Green Building Council for adhering to environment-friendly building norms, DMRC officials said.
The DMRC spokesperson also said that the remaining section of the Pink Line would be operational by September this year. The first stretch of the Pink Line was opened on March 14, connecting the North and South campuses of Delhi University.
Arvid Kejriwal said the new line connecting four major market hubs will help in solving parking and traffic problems in the busy areas.
The new inaugurated pink line will reduce travel time for commuters. The total travel from INA to Rajouri Garden reduced with 23 minutes, instead of the earlier 40 minutes. Lajpat Nagar to Rajouri Garden would take 28 minutes now, instead of the earlier 45 minutes, while it will take 39 minutes instead of 47 minutes to travel from Lajpat Nagar to Netaji Subhas Place
The first corridor of the Pink Line, from Majlis Park to South Campus was opened on 14 March, connecting the north and south campuses of the Delhi University on the DMRC network. A total of 23 trains will be put into service, with a frequency of 5 minutes and 12 seconds during peak hours and 5 minutes and 45 seconds during non-peak hours, the officials said.
Hardeep Singh Puri said the inauguration of the newly-constructed eight-kilometre section was a moment of pride for people of Delhi. “The Phase-III has been completed in seven years, which is half the time it took for completion of Phase-I and Phase-II. The success credit of new network goes to the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DRMC) and not to any political party,” he added.
With the inauguration of the phase 3 Pink Line, the operational length of the Delhi Metro is 296 km through 214 stations.
The metro stations in this section have interior beautifully with traditional artworks. The Bhikaji Cama Place metro station has a five-storey complex while the Moti Bagh station has a subway made by box pushing technique.