Delhi Metro Phase-4 may get approval in next Cabinet meeting

NEW DELHI: Delhi government is seriously planning the financial viability segment of the phase-4 Detailed Project Report(DPR) prepared by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation before the project is finally being approved at the next Cabinet meeting.

The fourth phase of the Metro could not start yet while the third phase of Metro is going to finish by the end of this year. It is believed that the unilateral decision of the centre and Delhi Metro Rail Corporation has hiked the metro fare in the October 10 last year.

According to the study of the financial viability, the fourth phase is expected to carry over 10 lakh people per day, but the commuting fares will range between Rs 20 to Rs 100. Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot announced that the project is likely to be approved at the next Cabinet meeting.

It is pertinent to mention that these projections, which form part of the financial viability segment of the Phase-IV Detailed Project Report (DPR) prepared by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), are being factored in by the Delhi government before approving the project at the next Cabinet meeting. The length of the six corridors will be 104-km.

Keeping in mind the larger public interest, the Delhi govt has decided to clear all the corridors of Delhi Metro Phase-4 project.

Also, DMRC had estimated that around 40 lakh commuters will use its network daily after the completion of Phase III. However, its ridership has slid down to 2015 levels and is hovering around 25 lakh per day after a double-phased fare hike in 2017. The Metro has prepared the Financial Internal Rate of Return (FIRR) of the project assuming that there will be a 14 per cent hike in fares once in every two years.

Accordingly, it has been assumed that the fare slabs will be Rs 20 for travel of 0-2 km, Rs 30 for 2-5 km, Rs 50 for 5-12 km, Rs 60 for 12-21 km, Rs 80 for 21-32 km and Rs 100 for travels beyond 32 km (after rounding off to Rs 10). The proposed Rithala-Narela (21.73 km), Tughlakabad-Aerocity (20.20 km) and Inderlok-Indraprastha (12.58 km) corridors, which were declared unviable by the Delhi Finance Department, will carry 1.29 lakh, 1.66 lakh and 2.07 lakh commuters per day in 2025, the report further stated. The corresponding ridership in 2031-32 will be 1.77 lakh, 2.55 lakh and 3.17 lakh per day, it added.

The DPR puts the deadline of Phase IV completion on December 31, 2024, and expected date of commissioning as January 1, 2025.

Safety inspection of Escorts Mujesar-Raja Nahar Singh section on Friday

New Delhi: The Commissioner For Metro Rail Safety (CMRS) will inspect the Escorts Mujesar Raja Nahar Singh (Ballabhgarh) section of Delhi Metro's Violet Line on November 16, before it is inaugurated.

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), in a statement, said the 3.2 kilometre elevated section comprises of two elevated stations - Sant Surdas (Sihi) and Raja Nahar Singh.

"The Commissioner For Metro Rail Safety, S K Pathak will inspect the Escorts Mujesar Raja Nahar Singh (Ballabhgarh) Metro section of Delhi Metro's Violet Line on November 16," it stated.

According to DMRC, this section will be an extension of the Kashmere Gate Escorts Mujesar Violet Line and is likely to be inaugurated later this month.

After the section is inaugurated, the corridor will now become 46.6 kilometres long while the total length of Delhi Metro network will become 317 kilometres.