Skywalk to link Ajmeri Gate side of NDLS with Delhi Metro stations
The skywalk, an extension of the foot-over bridge (FOB) inside the railway station, will connect NDLS’s Ajmeri gate side to the Delhi Metro. The project is in collaboration with the Northern Railways.
Work on a skywalk connecting the New Delhi Railway Station with the Metro stations on the Yellow and Airport Express lines is nearly complete and the walkway will likely be opened for the public soon, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) said on Thursday.
The skywalk, an extension of the foot-over bridge (FOB) inside the railway station, will connect NDLS’s Ajmeri gate side to the Delhi Metro. The project is in collaboration with the Northern Railways.
Officials said the skywalk will also link the station with the multi-level parking side across Bhavbhuti Marg through multiple entry and exit points in a bid to streamline the flow of traffic towards the Ajmeri Gate side.
DMRC managing director Mangu Singh, accompanied by other senior officials of the corporation, inspected work on the skywalk on Thursday.
The skywalk, which is over 200m-long, has six escalators and is equipped with CCTV cameras, toilets, and an autonomous lighting system.
“The skywalk has an integrated escalator and stairs reminiscent of Jantar Mantar, comprising Agra Stone Cladding. The main bridge and arms branching to the entry/exits, escalators and underground line are approximately 242m long,” said a DMRC spokesperson.
Officials said the significant passenger traffic in the area, coupled with disruptions due to the pandemic, posed challenges over the course of the skywalk’s construction.
“The structure had to be built above a functional underground Metro station just three metres below, with major traffic movement on Bhavbhuti Marg. Also, the bridge had to be connected to two pre-existing building structures at the far ends, while ensuring minimum inconvenience to the people, infrastructure and other buildings nearby,” a DMRC spokesperson said.
According to officials, the New Delhi Railway Station saw a daily passenger footfall of around 500,000 before the pandemic, with nearly half of this from the Ajmeri Gate side.
“Once operational, this will make commuting easier and passengers who had to earlier cross three lanes before reaching the railway station can now simply enter the station through a main footover bridge,” a Northern Railways official said.
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