Delhi Metro loop to bring east, west closer

This is one intelligent loop that will bridge the gap between the east and the west. Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has intensified its work on the connecting loop between Kirti Nagar and Inderlok. This stretch — comprising an elevated station at Satguru Ram Singh Marg and a connecting loop to the Inderlok station on the Dilshad Garden-Rithala line — is expected to bring down the travel time drastically for those commuting from west Delhi to east Delhi and Noida and vice versa. The 3.3km-stretch, which DMRC officials say is 80% complete, has a deadline of June 2011 though sources say that the line may be completed before that. A DMRC spokesperson said: “Work at the two stations is under progress while track work is already done.” The stretch, which will have a grade station at Kirti Nagar and will connect to the Inderlok station, is one of the vital interchanging lines that will connect three Metro lines — the Dilshad Garden-Rithala, the Dwarka sector 21-Noida/Anand Vihar and the Inderlok-Mundka lines. For instance, people traveling from Dwarka to Dilshad Garden have, at present, to take the Dwarka line to Rajiv Chowk, from where they have to take the underground Metro (line 2 or the HUDA City Centre-Jehangirpuri) to Kashmere Gate. From there, they will again have to change over to the Rithala-Dilshad Garden line. With the interconnecting Kirti Nagar-Ashok Park Main stretch though, the time spent on changing stations will be cut down drastically, say DMRC officials. “At present, traveling though the connecting station at Rajiv Chowk to Kashmere Gate is around 25 minutes. This will be cut down to half with the interchange from Kirti Nagar to Inderlok station,” said the spokesperson. The two stations — the grade station at Kirti Nagar and a new elevated station at Satguru Ram Singh Marg — will connect to Ashok Park Main station on line 5 (Inderlok-Mundka). A DMRC official said, “At least 16 spans between Kirti Nagar and Satguru Ram Singh Marg and six spans between Satguru Ram Singh Marg and Ashok Park Main are to be cast by April 2011, for which two launching girders are being used on this stretch.” The Kirti Nagar station of this line will be at grade, which will connect to the existing KN station of line 3 (Dwarka-Noida/Anand Vihar) through an FOB. Ashok Park Main and Kirti Nagar Metro stations will work as interchange stations to go towards line 1 (Dilshad Garden-Rithala) and line 3 respectively. Incidentally, the Satguru Ram Singh Marg station will connect to Ring Railway’s Patel Nagar station as well. DMRC officials add that the stretch should be complete before the scheduled deadline. The DMRC official added: “Normally, a curve of radius not less than 300 degrees is possible for a smooth turn but here, due to heavily built area, a radius curve of 265m has been given from Ashok Park station to go towards Satguru Ram Sing Marg station. This has avoided large-scale demolition in the area and allowed us to maintain the average speed of train at 60-65 kmph.”