Metro to reach Gurgaon on Monday

Gurgaon will be closer to Delhi from Monday when a Metro train will chug into the satellite city, fulfilling its residents' long awaited desire for an effective transport link to the national capital.

Gurgaon will be closer to Delhi from Monday when a Metro train will chug into the satellite city, fulfilling its residents' long awaited desire for an effective transport link to the national capital.

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The 14.47 km-long line, connecting Qutub Minar with HUDA City Centre in Gurgaon, will be thrown open to the public from 8 am on Monday. It got clearance by Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety RK Kardam last week.

DMRC sources said no formal function will be held because the trial runs on this section were launched with much fanfare by Urban Development Minister S Jaipal Reddy and Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda.

They said a formal function is likely to be held when the remaining section - Qutub Minar-Central Secretariat - of the corridor is inaugurated in July.

Revenue train services will commence simultaneously from Qutub Minar and HUDA City Centre stations at 8 am.

With this, Gurgaon will become the second satellite city to get Metro connectivity after Noida, where it reached last November.

The Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) is planning to run connecting bus services from Qutub Minar Metro station to Central Secretariat Metro station from 6.15 am to 11.45 pm.

Once the entire section (HUDA City Centre-Central Secretariat) becomes operational, passengers can hope to reach the millennium city in around an hour from Connaught Place.

DMRC will initially put five trains on the 14.47-km corridor that will connect Gurgaon with south Delhi, which will run at a frequency of 12 minutes, a DMRC spokesman said, adding that the number of trains will be increased gradually.

Passengers can cover the entire distance in around 25 minutes by paying a ticket fare of Rs 18, while the minimum ticket rate is priced at Rs 8.

Over 100 Customer Facilitation Agents are likely to be deployed as a special measure at all the stations to help them use AFC Gates, lifts and escalators and guide them at platforms and circulating area of the station.

Besides this, special Customer Care Centres will be set up at all stations of this line for passenger convenience.

The mood is already jubilant in the satellite city with people deciding to commute through metro to reach Delhi.

Shweta, who works in an IT firm in south Delhi, says she will not take her car to office from tomorrow.

"I have decided not to take my car from tomorrow since metro connectivity will be there. I don't want to get stuck in traffic," she says.