New Delhi: With the completion of Phase III of the Delhi Metro, the city will have as many as 27 interchanging stations, three times the existing number of 9. The new Pink line, which is expected to be fully operational by March 2018, will also increase the total distance covered by the Metro to 348 km.
The Pink Line, that will run from Majlis Park to Shiv Vihar and cover 38 stations, will have Azadpur, Netaji Subhash Place, and South Campus as interchanging stations. Commuters on the Orange Line (Airport Express) travelling from New Delhi Railway Station to Dwarka 21 will be able to interchange at INA and Lajpat Nagar. Similarly, for the Magenta Line between Janakpuri (West) and Botancial Garden, apart from these two terminating points, Hauz Khas and Kalkaji Mandir will also facilitate changing of trains for different lines. Mayur Vihar, Phase 1, Anand Vihar, Karkardooma and Welcome will serve as interchanging stations for the Violet Line. The total number of stations after Phase III starts running will reach 253.
Sources inform us that to ease the facilitation of utilising new stations and to avoid confusion, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation will use the colour corresponding to the line at the interchange terminals. It would also connect two stations with a foot overbridge, which will also be coloured as per the line they are connecting. For instance, Botanical Garden, a station for the Blue Line as well as the upcoming Magenta Line, the connecting foot overbridge will be painted in both blue and magenta. Currently, commuters are aided by floor stickers and arrow heads directing them to the correct interchanging station.
