Work starts on Delhi Metro’s Saket-Lajpat Nagar corridor

The 8-kilometre corridor will branch out from the IGI Airport-Tughlaqabad corridor at Saket G Block, with eight elevated stations at Lajpat Nagar, Andrews Ganj, Greater Kailash-1, Chirag Delhi, Pushpa Bhawan, Saket District Centre, Pushp Vihar and Saket G Block

New Delhi

The project is not expected to affect traffic in the already-congested areas, officials said, as the work is in the initial phases. (Representative photo/HT Archive)

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) on Friday started constructing the Saket G Block-Lajpat Nagar section of Metro Phase-4. The groundbreaking and first test pile ceremony for the elevated stretch of the Golden Line (Line-11) was held at Pushpa Bhawan near Saket on the day. The project has a completion timeline of 2029.

The 8-kilometre corridor will branch out from the IGI Airport-Tughlaqabad corridor at Saket G Block, with eight elevated stations at Lajpat Nagar, Andrews Ganj, Greater Kailash-1, Chirag Delhi, Pushpa Bhawan, Saket District Centre, Pushp Vihar and Saket G Block.

“The corridor will also provide new interchange points within the metro network. Once operational, Lajpat Nagar station will become a triple interchange facility, connecting the Violet, Pink and Golden lines. Chirag Delhi will offer integration with the Magenta Line. These connections are expected to facilitate smoother passenger movement across central and southern parts of the city,” said the DMRC spokesperson.

The project is not expected to affect traffic in the already-congested areas, officials said, as the work is in the initial phases.

DMRC officials said that the construction is at a primary stage and currently, earthwork is being undertaken in one corner at present. “We will seek traffic approvals on a need basis, but that will also not be needed for months now until pillar construction starts,” a DMRC official said.

A senior Delhi Traffic Police officer said that a traffic advisory will be issued in public interest and route diversion and restrictions will be implemented, whenever and wherever needed. However, no such permission has been sought at present.

The start of the construction work marks the first physical work initiated beyond the project’s priority corridors of Janakpuri West-RK Ashram Marg (Magenta Line extension), Majlis Park-Maujpur (Pink Line extension), and Delhi Aerocity-Tughlakabad (new Golden Line).

According to DMRC, the stretch will serve as an important link across south Delhi, improving access to residential hubs of Greater Kailash and Saket, as well as institutional clusters, schools and government offices located along the alignment.

Work on this section is part of the broader Phase-4 expansion, which includes two other lines, which are the Inderlok–Indraprastha extension of the Green Line and the Rithala–Narela corridor. Both are currently in the tendering or pre-construction stage.

In March 2024, the Union cabinet approved two new Phase-4 corridors: the 12.3-kilometre Inderlok-Indraprastha Extension and the 8-kilometre Lajpat Nagar-Saket G Block corridor. The Green Line Extension will feature 10 stations at Inderlok, Dayabasti, Ajmal Khan Park, Jhandewalan Mandir, Nabi Karim, New Delhi, Delhi Gate, Delhi Sachivalaya and Indraprastha. Of the total length, 11.3km will be underground, with only a 1km elevated portion.

DMRC officials said that the Green Line Extension corridor will have five interchange points, at Inderlok, Nabi Karim, New Delhi, Delhi Gate and Indraprastha, linking passengers to the Red, Magenta, Yellow, Violet and Blue lines.

“The extension is expected to significantly strengthen last-mile connectivity in central Delhi and provide additional access to high-footfall areas, such as the New Delhi Railway Station, and government establishments around the Delhi Gate and Sachivalaya, officials said.

DMRC said the Phase-4 work reflects its continued expansion of the Metro network, “which has grown to become the backbone of Delhi’s urban mobility system since operations began in 2002”. Construction under Phase 4 started in 2019. The corporation said that construction on the approved corridors would progress in stages, with ongoing groundwork aimed at integrating the new alignments with the existing system.

The groundbreaking event on Friday was attended by DMRC managing director Vikas Kumar, senior officials from the corporation and representatives of Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL), which is executing this package. Officials said the start of piling marks the transition into major civil works for the corridor.