Trial run on Botanical Garden-Kalkaji ends, inspection soon

The Botanical Garden-Kalkaji section will also be Delhi Metro’s first-ever corridor to be operated using the communication based train control (CBTC) signalling technology which will facilitate movement of trains with a frequency of 90 to 100 seconds.

The Botanical Garden to Kalkaji Mandir section of the Botanical Garden-Janakpuri west line is all set to open by November-end.

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation said it is all set to begin trial on 3.9 km Kalindi Kunj-Botanic Garden Metro link next month as the corridor is ready. (Sunil Ghosh/HT PHOTO)

According to the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), trials and testing on the 12.64km section has been completed and most of the mandatory clearances, required for inviting the commissioner of Metro rail safety (CMRS) to inspect, have been received.

“The papers for scrutiny and a detailed examination by CMRS are under submission to his office and after these are verified, examined and scrutinised in depth, further action is expected. In addition, since the application involves voluminous data of civil, electrical, signalling and track, the DMRC may also have to supply any additional information sought by the office of CMRS. After the entire process, it is expected that a suitable date for inspection will be indicated,” said a DMRC spokesperson.

With the opening of this section, residents of Noida will save at least 45 minutes of travelling time while going to south Delhi. The Botanical Garden metro station will emerge as the first-ever interchange metro station in the National Capital Region outside Delhi and it will remain the only one.

This section will also be Delhi Metro’s first-ever corridor to be operated using the communication based train control (CBTC) signalling technology which will facilitate movement of trains with a frequency of 90 to 100 seconds.

Once the entire corridor from Botanical Garden till Janakpuri West (38.23km) is opened, commuters from Noida will be able to go to Gurgaon by changing trains at Hauz Khas. This will help immensely in decongesting Rajiv Chowk, which is currently the interchange point for travellers between Noida and Gurgaon.

The Botanical Garden-Kalkaji Mandir section has nine stations— Kalkaji Mandir, Okhla NSIC, Sukhdev Vihar, Jamia Milia Islamia, Jasola Vihar, Shaheen Bagh, Kalindi Kunj, Okhla Bird Sanctuary and Botanical Garden. While Kalkaji Mandir is underground, all other stations are elevated. The section will also cater to two major educational institutions – Jamia Milia Islamia and Amity University.

On this section, the Delhi Metro’s third bridge over river Yamuna has come up at Kalindi Kunj, between the Kalindi Kunj and Okhla Bird Sanctuary stations. It is a 574-metre bridge with 14 spans (41 metres each) and 15 piers. It has come up about 85 metres downstream of the existing Okhla bridge over river Yamuna.