Greater Noida West residents cheer Centre’s Metro extension approval

NOIDA: Residents of Noida and Greater Noida West welcomed the Centre’s approval of a Metro extension, saying it will improve public transport in an area with limited connectivity

NOIDA: Residents of Noida and Greater Noida West welcomed the Centre’s approval of a Metro extension, saying it will improve public transport in an area with limited connectivity.

The corridor will extend the Aqua Line from Noida Sector 51 to Greater Noida West Sector 4, bringing metro access closer to residential, commercial, hospitals, and other key areas. (HT Archive)

The corridor will extend the Aqua Line from Noida Sector 51 to Greater Noida West Sector 4, bringing metro access closer to residential, commercial, hospitals, and other key areas.

The project has changed since it was first proposed. The original plan envisaged an 18-km corridor from Sector 61 on Delhi Metro’s Blue Line to Knowledge Park V in Greater Noida. The Noida Metro Rail Corporation (NMRC) later revise its DPR after a proposal of Ghaziabad-Jewar RRTC through Gaur Chowk.

“We have been waiting for this metro project for ten years, since we shifted into our newly-built housing complexes. The state government, realtors and industrial bodies had assured us of a metro connectivity, but despite repeated demands, the project did not move forward. We are relieved by this approval,” said Sarika Jha, a resident of Sector 2, Greater Noida West.

The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi,approved the 8.44 km extension on Wednesday. The corridor will have five elevated stations:Sector 61, Sector 70, Sector 122, Sector 123 and Greater Noida west Sector 4. It will have an interchange at Blue Line’s Sector 61 station.

“The extension will take metro connectivity deeper into sectors 72, 73, 70, 123, 122 and Parthla of Noida region. It will also connect Greater Noida West areas including sector 1, and 4 to the Delhi Metro network,” said Krishna Karunesh, chief executive officer, Noida authority and head of NMRC.

Mala Kumari, another resident and a college student said they used to face problems while traveling from Greater Noida to Delhi. “We used to take auto or costly taxi to board metro from Noida Sector 51. The journey could take more than 45 minutes due to traffic congestion,” said Mala.

Greater Noida West commuters depend on private buses for Delhi to save money and travel safely.

“There are many private bus players who take commuters to Delhi on regular basis. This corridor will bring a major relief for thousands of commuters,” said Abhishek Kumar, a resident of Sector 4, Greater Noida West.