Delhi Metro push for expansion of Phase-4 corridor

Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) on Thursday awarded the contract for lifts and escalators on three corridors being built under the Phase-4 expansion of the network

Giving a further push to expansion work under Phase-4, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) on Thursday awarded the first contract for the lease and maintenance of lifts and escalators for the three priority corridors.

The Delhi Metro is developing Janakpuri West to RK Ashram Marg, Majlis Park to Maujpur and Tughalakabad to Aerocity under the phase 4 expansion of it network (HT Photo)

Officials said the projects will be carried out under a public-private partnership model that aims to indigenise the Metro rail system. The lifts under phase 4 will have an increased carrying capacity of up to 20 commuters at a time, as against the earlier phases, under which lifts, with carrying capacity of 8-13 passengers, said officials, adding that CCTV cameras will also be installed in lifts for the first time.

“This is a first of its kind historic financial model in this sector adopted in India for funding of public infrastructure project based on Public Private Partnership (PPP) model wherein M/s Johnson Lifts, Chennai (i.e. vendor) will initially bear the entire cost for design, manufacturing, supply, installation, testing and commissioning of the lifts and escalators, and will maintain them for a period of 15 years,” said a DMRC spokesperson, stating this was the first time lifts were fully indigenised and escalators were being indigenised up to 65 percent.

The contract agreements for the procurement of state-of-the-art, heavy duty, indigenised lifts and escalators were exchanged between Om Hari Pande, Director (Electrical), DMRC, and John K John, chairman-cum-managing director, M/s Johnson Lifts, in the presence of DMRC’s managing director, Dr. Mangu Singh, and other officials on Thursday.

The Phase-4 priority corridors are Janakpuri West to RK Ashram Marg, Majlis Park to Maujpur and Tughalakabad to Aerocity. DMRC has awarded contracts to procure 179 lifts and 323 escalators across the three priority corridors, containing 45 stations and spread across 65km.

Currently, DMRC is operating a network of approximately 390km, with around 1,000 lifts and more than 1,100 escalators across 286 stations.