Delhi Metro officials unsure when to start Gurgaon line

GURGAON - Delhi Metro authorities are not sure whether to start the commercial operation of its Gurgaon line in March or July, even as its trial run is set for Friday.

According to Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) officials, the earlier plan was to start the line from Gurgaon to Qutub Minar in March and Qutub Minar to Central Secretariat in July.

“But to open the line in two parts also doesn’t make any sense as commuters will have to come all the way to Qutub Minar to board a train to Gurgaon. We are working on it and a decision will be taken soon,” said a DMRC official.

If the DMRC decides to open the Gurgaon line in March then for the first three months, it will not be connected to other lines.

“The travellers who want to go to Gurgaon have to board the metro from Qutub Minar, which is nine stations away (more than 20 km) from Central Secretariat, the station where trains of line 2 (from Jahangirpuri) terminate presently.

“Similarly the passengers coming from Gurgaon have to get down at Qutub Minar and have to find their own way to their destinations,” said a senior official of Delhi Metro, posted at the Gurgaon line.

Sources said during the trial run the train would ply only till Sultanpur as work at the Chattarpur station is still underway.

“The work on Chhattarpur station got delayed because of land acquisition issue that has finally been resolved. The stretch beyond Sultanpuri would be completed by March only,” a DMRC official said.

There will be five stations from the Delhi-Gurgaon border to HUDA City Centre, which is the last station in this 7.3-km line.

The proposed route is Guru Dronacharya–Sikandarpur–MG Road–IFFCO Chowk–HUDA City Centre. The approximate distance between stations in this line is 1.5 km. The construction of the Gurgaon metro line had started in December 2006.

“From Qutub Minar to Gurgaon border there will be four stations, Chhattarpur, Sultanpur, Ghitorni and Arjangarh,” the official added.

A big attraction of the Gurgaon section of the metro will be the HUDA City Centre station. This eco-friendly station will have a shopping mall.

DMRC has planned parking facilities in nine out of 19 metro stations at the Central Secretariat-HUDA City Centre line.

“All the five stations in Gurgaon will have parking facilities. In Delhi, Chhattarpur, Sultanpur, Arjangarh, Ghittorni and Green Park metro stations will have parking facilities,” the official added.