17.1.13

Delhi Monorail update


The choc-a-bloc bylanes of east Delhi will soon have a new entrant — a monorail that will connect not only the most congested areas but also link with metro stations, liberating commuters from heavy traffic.
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has submitted a detailed project report of the 11 km alignment from Shastri Park to Trilokpuri to the Delhi government. Transport minister Ramakant Goswami said government sanction for the project was expected to come through soon. “We are hoping that the project will get sanction within the next three months, so that work on the monorail can start,” said Goswami. Officials said the project report had set 2017 as the deadline for completion if work starts this year.

EAST DELHI’S PRIDE
11km corridor proposed from Shastri Park to Trilokpuri
3 metro lines to interlink with monorail
12 stations proposed on the stretch
2017 likely year of completion

The entire alignment for the monorail will be elevated, along roads that are mostly narrow. The minimum right of way — 12-14 m at Raja Ram Kohli Marg — however, is enough for the monorail to come up, said officials. The elevated corridor will take a minimum height of 5.5 m clearance from the road. The advantage of the monorail in such populated areas, added the Delhi Metro official, is the narrower pillar diameter compared to the metro. The monorail pillar measures only 1-1.2 m while the diameter for a metro pillar is 1.5-1.8 m. The monorail’s ability to take sharp turns is another factor in its favour.
The 11km corridor will have 12 stations: Shastri Park, Kailash Nagar, Gandhi Nagar, Taj Enclave, Geeta Colony, Guru Angad Nagar, Scope Tower, Ganesh Nagar, Mother Dairy, Patparganj, Kotla and Trilokpuri. It will culminate at Trilokpuri via Yamuna Pusta Road, Raja Ram Kohli Marg, Geeta Colony, Patparganj Road, Vikas Marg, Ganesh Nagar, New Patparganj Road, NH-24, Sanjay Lake and the proposed Trilokpuri metro station. The monorail will also connect with three Delhi Metro lines — at Shastri Park, Nirman Vihar and Trilokpuri — thereby providing connectivity with the existing Dilshad Garden-Rithala line, Anand Vihar-Dwarka and the proposed Mukundpur-Yamuna Vihar under phase III of the metro network. The monorail alignment will ferry 1.5 lakh passengers a day initially.
The project is expected to cost the government Rs 2,235 crore. Goswami added that the funding pattern would be the same as Delhi metro — jointly funded by the city government and the Centre. The fare structure for the monorail has been kept at Rs 2.5 per km at present, same as Delhi metro.
The project has been promoted aggressively by East Delhi MP Sandeep Dikshit, who was present when the transport minister, along with the Delhi metro MD, took a survey of the monorail alignment.

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