NMRC signs agreement giving maintenance to Delhi Metro

The Noida Metro Rail Corporation (NMRC) on Friday signed an agreement with the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) under which the latter will handle the maintenance and operations of the 30-km Noida-Greater Noida Metro link. The under-construction route is to be ready by November 2017.

The Noida Metro Rail Corporation (NMRC) on Friday signed an agreement with the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) under which the latter will handle the maintenance and operations of the 30-km Noida-Greater Noida Metro link. The under-construction route is to be ready by November 2017.

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation has been providing expertise and services to its Noida counterpart for its first project — the 30-km Noida-Greater Noida metro link. (Burhaan Kinu/HT)

The NMRC signed the memorandum of understanding (MoU) in the presence of Mangu Singh, managing director, DMRC; Santosh Yadav, managing director, NMRC; Vikas Kumar, executive director, DMRC; and PD Upadhyay, general manager (finance), NMRC.

“The DMRC will continue providing its expertise and services to the Noida-Greater Noida Metro link project until NMRC develops the capacity to maintain such big projects on its own,” said Yadav.

“We have signed the agreement for three years to begin with, but it may be extended for two more years if required. We hope that in the next three years, we will develop the capacities and take up operations and maintenance in our own hands,” said Yadav.

On November 7, 2014, the Noida authority had formed its own metro rail corporation to build the 30-km link as its first project.

“The NMRC owns this 30-km metro project. It will deal with departments like legal, administration, land, accounts, finance, and strategy. The DMRC will only maintain and run it. Later, the NMRC will take over once it gets some experience,” said a DMRC official.

DMRC and NMRC officials have already discussed issues like ticketing, security and technology.

“The Noida-Greater Noida metro link will have the same ticketing system as the Delhi metro has in its existing lines. The DMRC has assured that metro rides on this route will be seamless and hassle-free,” said another NMRC official.