Rapid Metro Phase II on course,nears launch

Phase II of the Rapid Metro line will cover routes on the Golf Course and Golf Course Extension Road, which apart from upscale residential colonies, also has numerous corporate offices

As the Rapid Metro Phase II nears completion, workers can be seen removing barricades or filling trenches and engineers preoccupied with testing signalling and communication systems. Gates, escalators and lifts have been installed, signages demarcating entry and exit points erected, and LED lights illuminate the platforms.

A Rapid Metro train passes through Arjun Marg during a trial run on the Phase II line in Gurgaon on Wednesday. (PARVEEN KUMAR/HT PHOTO)

These indicate that Gurgaon residents might not have to wait too long for the beginning of operations of Phase II of the Rapid Metro. Barring safety approval delay, HT’s spot visits to the stations revealed that work on fitting electrical equipment and signages, and work on platforms were almost completed.

Phase II of the Rapid Metro line will cover routes on the Golf Course and Golf Course Extension Road, which apart from upscale residential colonies, also has numerous corporate offices.

On the 6.7-kilometre line, stations are located at DLF Phase 1, Sushant Lok, sector 53/54, AIT Chowk and sector 55/56. The line starts from Sikanderpur Metro station that is connected to the Delhi Metro Station on the Yellow Line near Bristol Chowk and terminates at Golf Course Extension T-junction.

Although the Rapid Metro has so not announced an official inauguration date and cited the ‘first-quarter of 2017’ as the opening date, as per sources, operations are expected to commence by March-April.

“The project is in the final stages of completion and the processes of securing requisite approvals to commence commercial operations at the earliest have also been initiated. Over 95% of the overall project has been completed with key milestones achieved with our track work complete, power system energised and a major milestone -- commencement of train trials -- already initiated in November,” the official spokesperson of the Rapid Metro said.

Rapid Metro officials maintained that owing to ‘confidentiality’, details of safety approvals such as speed certificate and site inspections by team of experts cannot be disclosed. Procurement of safety approvals and other clearances is a time-consuming process. However, officials confirmed that basic steps such as track work and power grid system have been completed and regular trial runs have been taking place since November.

Construction work for the line started in April 2013 and expected to be completed by the end of 2015. As reported earlier, owing to a road-widening project, shifting of gas line, underpass project and demonetisation of high denomination currency notes, the project has missed multiple deadlines.