Delhi Metro Phase IV

While work has begun on the third phase of the Metro network, the Delhi government has started finalizing the corridors for Phase IV. Sources said the government is considering the corridors suggested by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC). The network being envisaged for Phase IV covers more than 115km and will connect far-flung areas of the city to the existing network. Sources said the idea was to connect outer Delhi to the heart of the city in the fourth phase. “While Phase III will make the Metro network denser and bring NCR closer to Delhi; in the fourth phase, we are hoping to connect the corners of the city to the Metro network,” an official said. A letter detailing the corridor alignment and their length was sent to the transport department on November 2, 2011, said sources. Some of the corridors, like Lajpat Nagar-Madangir (7.33km) or Mukundpur-Yamuna Vihar-Dilshad Garden (17.54km) will also connect commercial hubs with areas having poor surface connectivity. However, most of the corridors being studied would connect the far corners of Delhi to the city centre. These include the Yamuna Bank-Loni Border (11.97km), Rithala-Bawana (12.50km), Kirti Nagar-Dwarka Sector 28 (18.17km), Azadpur-RK Ashram (8.90km) and Badarpur-Delhi Aerocity/NH8 corridor (20.79km). There will also be a corridor connecting Janakpuri (west) to Mukundpur (18.74km), both of which are terminating stations for corridors in the third phase. Once the corridors are approved by the Delhi government, DMRC will be asked to conduct a detailed project report (DPR) on the corridors, identifying the actual alignment of the corridors, as well as carry out a ridership study. Officials said the final network for Phase IV would be decided only after another traffic study is conducted and the network’s economic viability vetted. RITES will be engaged to do the ridership demand study, said the official. DPRs of three new corridors — Yamuna Vihar to Shiv Vihar (3km), Dwarka to Najafgarh (5.5km) and Mundka to Tikri Border (6.31km) — are ready and are expected to be included in Phase III.