Noida to Ghaziabad Metro route not feasible, say officials

GDA officials will meet officials of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) on Tuesday to discuss the newly proposed route and two previously proposed routes that the authority had rejected

The Ghaziabad development authority (GDA) has hinted at constraints that may prevent the recently proposed Metro route from Sector 62 in Noida to Vaishali in Ghaziabad from moving forward. Officials said there are several patches of private land along the proposed corridor, and acquiring them may pose legal and financial hurdles to the authority.

Officials said that another proposed route, from Mohan Nagar to Vaishali, is less feasible because it may impact the ridership of the RRTS project. (Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

In this regard, GDA officials will meet officials of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) on Tuesday to discuss the newly proposed route and two previously proposed routes that the authority had rejected.

These two Metro routes are the Mohan Nagar to Vaishali route and the Sector 62, Noida to Sahibabad route. In January 2020, DMRC submitted a project report to GDA, which estimated a budget of ₹1,517 crore for the Sector 62 to Sahibabad route, and ₹1,808.22 crore for the Vaishali to Mohan Nagar route.

“The newly proposed route from Sector 62 to Vaishali requires the acquisition of several patches of private land. But the authority may face legal and financial issues due to this. So, we do not find this route feasible. Instead, the two previously proposed routes are being considered again,” said Manvendra Singh, officiating chief engineer of GDA.

“These two routes and the newly proposed route will be discussed with DMRC officials on Tuesday. We may revert to the previous two routes, including the Sector 62 to Sahibabad route, which could also serve as an interchange hub for passengers with the Regional Rapid Transit System project (RRTS) station,” Singh added.

According to officials familiar with the development, the Sector 62 to Sahibabad route may be more feasible than the other route, Mohan Nagar to Vaishali, as the latter may reduce RRTS ridership.

GDA is also facing significant challenges due to financial constraints. In May, the state government denied 50% of funding for the Ghaziabad Metro projects.

GDA also has to repay two large loans it procured to construct the 10.3km Hindon elevated road and give increased compensation to farmers in the Madhuban Bapudham housing scheme.

GDA has been considering various options for connecting the two previously proposed Metro extensions for nearly two years due to a lack of funds.

During this time, GDA officials proposed a ropeway link connection and even Metrolite – a light rail urban transit system for cities with low ridership that can also serve as a feeder system for existing Metro systems, and Metro Neo – a low-cost mass rapid transit system for tier 2 and tier 3 cities.

On the other hand, residents preferred Metro connectivity to other modes of transportation and opposed these alternatives. GDA finally admitted in December 2022 that Metro connectivity on the two previously proposed routes would be the best option, while a new 5.83km route from Sector 62 to Vaishali emerged recently in June.

“We recently wrote to the PMO, the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, and other officials, requesting that the two previous routes be made more feasible for passengers, and their revised DPRs be prepared. For the past two years, officials have been unable to decide, and it appears that it is merely a gimmick ahead of the 2024 elections. If this is the case, we may stage a protest,” said UB Garg, president of Varishth Nagrik Samaj, Vasundhara, an association of residents and senior citizens.