Delhi (Metro Rail News): For the first time, the 289-meter Trilokpuri stretch between Mayur Vihar Pocket 1 and Trilokpuri Sanjay Lake stations will connect the whole 59-kilometer Pink Line.
From Friday, the Delhi Metro’s Pink Line will become the system’s longest operating corridor, saving commuters time and money after the line’s Trilokpuri gap was closed after much delay.
However, for a long time, a small section in east Delhi’s Trilokpuri region had been a bottleneck for the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), resulting in the line remaining disconnected for a short distance.
On August 6, the 289-meter Trilokpuri stretch between Mayur Vihar Pocket 1 and Trilokpuri Sanjay Lake stations will open, connecting the complete 59-kilometer Pink Line for the first time.
Officials said it will also connect significant city landmarks including the Anand Vihar Railway station, Anand Vihar ISBT, Nizamuddin Railway station, marketplaces in South Extension, INA, and Lajpat Nagar.
The much-anticipated completion of the Pink Line would also help residents and visitors to east Delhi, as the line was previously operated in two segments due to a gap at Trilokpuri.
The line’s gap was supposed to be filled by September 2020, but it was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic’s ramifications, sources claimed in early October.
Pink Line opened in segments during 2018. All of the line’s stations have also been opened. Due to a variety of challenges, including property acquisition, a piece of the metro segment was left unfilled for a few kilometres, rendering the Trilokpuri Sanjay Lake station a terminus.
This section will connect the two ends of the Pink Line and provide seamless access to a wide range of locations in the National Capital Region once it is operational on August 6.
DMRC officials stated on Wednesday that commuters will save time and money as a result of the seamless connectivity.
There will be a 20-minute reduction in travel time from HUDA City Centre (Gurgaon) to Trilokpuri-Sanjay Lake or vice versa, officials said, because, after the opening of this section, there will be only one interchange station, namely Delhi Haat-INA, rather than the two interchange stations that exist now.
Travelling from Raja Nahar Singh-Ballabhgarh (Faridabad) to Trilokpuri-Sanjay Lake or vice versa will take 25 minutes less once this stretch is completed, as there will be only one interchange station, Lajpat Nagar, instead of the two that exist now.
Commuters travelling from NOIDA City Center or Botanical Garden to Trilokpuri-Sanjay Lake or vice versa will save 20 minutes once this stretch is completed, as there will be only one interchange station, Mayur Vihar Pocket-1, instead of the two currently available.
On the Delhi Haat-INA to Trilokpuri-Sanjay Lake or Lajpat Nagar to Trilokpuri-Sanjay Lake routes, travel time will be reduced by roughly 20 minutes each way.
The full connection of the Pink Line will also save money for riders, as prices for the Trilokpuri to Mayur Vihar Pocket-1 segment and vice versa would be reduced by 30 percent, according to officials.
“A fare reduction of 20 percent will be implemented in 38 sections (to and fro) and important key locations such as Lajpat Nagar, Noida City Centre, Botanical Garden, and Mohan Estate to Trilokpuri or vice versa; a fare reduction of 10 percent will be implemented in 524 sections (to and fro),” according to the DMRC.
The Pink Line currently has 43 trains, including standby trains, operating on two different sections: Majlis Park to Mayur Vihar Pocket-1 has 30 trains, including standby trains, and Trilokpuri to Maujpur/Shiv Vihar has 13 trains, including standby trains, according to officials.
The same set of trains will be used after the missing link is installed. A comprehensive operating strategy, however, is still being drawn out, according to a senior official.
According to him, the Pink Line will now be connected end-to-end, making it the network’s longest operational line.
In Phase-IV, the route will be expanded from Majlis Park to Maujpur, making it India’s longest single metro corridor at roughly 70 kilometres. The Pink Line will also become the country’s sole Ring Corridor of Metro if Phase-IV is completed.
