A Detail Project Report (DPR) for Phase-IV has been prepared and submitted to the Delhi government and the Union Urban Development Ministry for approval, said a Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) spokesperson.
Phase-IV, which aims to connect several areas on the outskirts of Delhi and NCR, will add 103.93 km more to the existing 330 km, including Phase-III that is under-construction.
The Delhi Metro’s current ridership is 28 lakh daily, which is estimated to go up to 40 lakh on the completion of Phase-III by the year-end.
At present, the Delhi Metro network covers 218km and construction of 140km is ongoing for Phase-III. Phase-IV, which envisages to add 103.93 km to the Metro network, was conceived during the erstwhile Congress government, while the DPR was drafted when Delhi was under the President’s Rule.
The Union Urban Development Ministry had suggested minor changes in the DPR and sent it to the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government for approval in December last.
The DMRC has set 2021 as deadline for the Phase-IV expansion, which will add 75 more stations to the Metro network. About 31.47km will be underground, while 64.39km will be elevated.
“In the recently-held meeting, the government has given in-principle approval to the construction of Metro Phase-IV,” a senior government official said.
He added that the Delhi government has already written to the DMRC, saying that it will go for the revenue-sharing model adopted in the previous phases.
“Once the DPR and financial proposal are received from the DMRC, the matter will taken to the Delhi Cabinet for final approval,” the official said.
Among the projects chosen under Phase-IV are Rithala Narela (21.73km), Janakpuri West RK Ashram (28.92km), Mukundpur Maujpur (12.54km), Inderlok Indraprastha (12.58km), Tughlakabad Aerocity (20.20 km), and Lajpat Nagar Saket G-Block (7.96 km).
The corridor will cover Rithala to Narela via Barwala and Bawana, West Janakpuri to RK Ashram, Mukundpur to Maujpur via Wazirabad and Khajuri Khas, Tughlakabad to Aerocity via Saket G Block, Mehrauli and Mahipalpur with a spur from Lajpat Nagar to Saket G Block, Inderlok to Indraprastha via Dayabasti, New Delhi Railway Station, Delhi Gate and Delhi Sachivalaya.