NEW DELHI (Metro Rail News):
Overview
On December 13, 2022, the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (Yeida) signed an agreement with the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) under which the latter had been assigned with the responsibility of preparing a detailed project report for Phase-2 of the proposed metro corridor between the Jewar Airport in Noida and the IGI Airport in Delhi. The Yamuna Expressway Authority paid Rs 2 crore to DMRC in October last year to prepare the DPR. The projected Metro corridor project, estimated to cost approximately Rs 13,000 crore, is anticipated to be financed and funded by the Noida authority, Greater Noida authority, Yeida, the Uttar Pradesh government, and the Central government.
A seventy-two-kilometre metro route has been planned and proposed to be constructed to connect the forthcoming Jewar airport to the New Delhi Metro Station. In the designed corridor, passengers shall have the option to change trains at the NDLS metro station and take the airport express metro to the IGI Airport. The intended metro rail corridor shall feature two metro rail stretches, one between Noida Airport and Knowledge Park in Greater Noida, and the other from Knowledge Park to New Delhi Railway Station. There is already a connection from New Delhi Railway Station to the Airport Express for Delhi Airport.
Jewar Airport Metro stations
Although the Jewar airport-New Delhi Metro Station Metro route was originally planned to have 12 stations, officials now claim that it may only have six in order to cut travel time. According to DMRC, once this new line is operational, the distance between Jewar Airport and IGI Airport could be traversed in one hour. The first phase of the projected Jewar airport is expected to be completed in September 2024, shortly after the NCR’s second airport opens to the public.
Jewar Airport to be linked with Bulandshahr
The Yeida has also agreed to construct two new expressways and a rail link to connect the Chola Railway Station in Bulandshahr to Jewar, which is the proposed site where the Noida International Greenfield Airport is currently being developed.
Stations between Jewar airport and Greater Noida
The Airport Express Line would connect Jewar to the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi via the link between the future Noida International Airport and Greater Noida. Seven stations are planned for the proposed metro rail corridor between the upcoming Noida International Airport at Jewar & Knowledge Park-2 in Greater Noida. According to sources close to the project, it has been slated that six of the seven metro stations shall be elevated while the remaining one is expected to be underground.
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) prepared a detailed project report (DPR) for the metro link between Jewar Airport and Knowledge Park-2, which was submitted to the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) last year and has now been forwarded to the Uttar Pradesh government for approval.
As per the sources, ‘there are likely to be seven stations between Jewar Airport and Greater Noida. Four of these seven are likely to be Noida International Airport in Jewar, International Film City, Techzone and Knowledge Park-2. The remaining three stations are expected to come up in YEIDA residential sectors 18, 19 and 20 and industrial sectors 28 and 29,” including that the station at Noida International Airport will be underground.
Building Jewar – India’s Transport Hub
The Knowledge Park-2 metro station will serve as an interchange station for travellers switching to the Noida-Greater Noida Aqua line metro. The 35.64-kilometre-long metro link between Jewar Airport and Greater Noida is part of the 72-kilometre-long Airport Express Line, which will connect the planned Noida International Airport with the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi. The project would be completed in two stages: 35.64 kilometres from Jewar Airport to Knowledge Park-2 and 36.36 kilometres from Knowledge Park-2 to Delhi, where commuters can use the current Airport Express Line.
According to sources, given the distance between the two airports, the entire metro connecting link will be a high-speed rail service, with a one-hour journey time between the two airports. According to YEIDA officials, DMRC is also preparing the DPR for the Knowledge Park-2 to New Delhi metro line, which is scheduled to be filed soon. The total project cost, including both stages, is anticipated to be Rs 13,000 crore. The DPR for Knowledge Park-2 to Delhi Metro had been scheduled to be submitted by March 31 of this year; however, it had been postponed and delayed by a few months owing to the requirement to have more time to carry out surveys.
The YEIDA shall be submitting the DPR for the Greater Noida-Delhi metro line to the state government for approval after reviewing and examining it. Work on both metro corridors can begin only after approval and acceptance from the state government. According to the officials, YEIDA signed an agreement with DMRC to perform a feasibility study for a metro link between IGI Airport and Noida International Airport in September 2021. They stated that phase one of the new airport is planned to begin in September 2024, so connecting the two airports and developing multimodal connectivity from Jewar to other sections of Greater Noida, Noida, and Delhi is vital and important.
Metro to link two NCR Airports: DPR for New Delhi-Greater Noida Metro Corridor
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has submitted the comprehensive project report for the proposed metro route between New Delhi railway station and Greater Noida Knowledge Park-2 to the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA). According to project officials, the detailed project report (DPR) has recommended roughly seven stations along this section of the metro network. This proposed corridor is part of a larger metro network intended to connect the National Capital Region’s (NCR) two international airports, the future Noida International Airport (NIA) in Jewar and the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) in Delhi. The DPR had also been submitted to the government of Uttar Pradesh for assessment and final clearance.
According to the CEO of Yeida, the DPR for the Knowledge Park-2 to New Delhi segment has been prepared and has been sent to the state government for clearance. The DPR has proposed seven metro stations connecting Knowledge Park-2 to New Delhi. The government’s approval and orders for further project advancement are awaited. Officials said that the government shall take the final decision on the number of stations and the funding scheme. In February 2023, the DMRC began work on preparing the DPR for the development of this metro link. However, Yeida officials indicated in April that the process is being delayed because DMRC has requested more time to finish the survey work.
Linking The Two Airports
In December 2022, the DMRC and YEIDA signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the compilation of the full project report for the development of the metro rail link. The 72-kilometre planned metro connectivity would be divided into two phases: a 36.36-kilometre link between New Delhi Station and Greater Noida’s Knowledge Park-2, and a 35.64-kilometre link between Knowledge Park-2 and Jewar. According to officials, the Knowledge Park-2-Jewar link has already received approval from the Yamuna authority for its DPR in August 2022 and is now awaiting approval from the Uttar Pradesh government. After the two stages are completed, this metro line will feature a total of 13 stations between Jewar Airport and New Delhi Railway Station. There is already a connection from New Delhi railway station to the Airport Express for IGI airport in Delhi. This proposed rail link is part of the Uttar Pradesh government’s intention to provide last-mile metro connectivity to Noida International Airport.
Summary
The high-speed Metro project connecting Noida International Airport with Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport is slated to include only six stations on the 72km route in order to improve connectivity and assure smooth and quick journeys. The Uttar Pradesh government hopes to reduce travel time between Jewar and New Delhi stations to half an hour.
Reduced Number of Stations
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) previously envisioned 12 stations along the route, beginning at the New Delhi Metro interchange and extending to the Noida airport in Jewar. However, in order to maintain high speeds, Uttar Pradesh government officials who chose anonymity insist on restricting the number of stations to six. This decision intends to make travel between the two airports more convenient and efficient. A high-level meeting had been organised, and attended by the Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary, DMRC, Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (Yeida), Noida International Airport Limited (NIAL), Yamuna International Airport Private Limited, and the Ministry of Civil Aviation. The main purpose of the meeting has been to finalise the stations for the Metro line project and to debate the funding arrangement.
Project Implications
The construction of a high-speed Metro link between Noida International Airport and Indira Gandhi International Airport is required to meet the requirements of the agreement signed by Zurich International AG, Yamuna International Airport Private Limited, and NIAL. According to the agreement, the multimodal connection between Jewar and IGI airports must be constructed before operations at Noida airport begin in September 2024.
Upcoming Phases
Other than the 72-kilometer Metro link between Jewar and the New Delhi Metro station, two further stages are being considered. The first phase, which has already been approved, consists of a 35.64km Metro project from Jewar to Greater Noida’s Knowledge Park-2. The second phase, which is pending Yeida’s finalisation of the DPR, includes a 36.36km Metro link connecting Knowledge Park-2 and New Delhi. These future phases shall ultimately conclude the seventy-two-kilometre Metro project, providing passengers with seamless connectivity.
Conclusion
The projected high-speed Metro project connecting Noida International Airport and Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport demonstrates the Uttar Pradesh government’s commitment towards strengthening and enhancing the infrastructure and connectivity in the region. With fewer stoppages and an emphasis on shorter journey times, this project intends to provide effective transportation alternatives for passengers while also contributing to the broader development of the area.
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The news report should have also indicated the traffic estimates, the travel time estimations and economic viability (and also financial viability) assessed for the proposed Metro corridor to Airport…and also may indicate the current status of the project report