DMRC expedites ₹8,390-cr Aerocity-Tughlaqabad corridor

Delhi Metro Rail Corporation is all set to start construction work on the underground section of Phase-IV of its upcoming Silver Line— the Aerocity-Tughlaqabad corridor for which the DMRC has already secured a loan from Japan International Cooperation (JICA). Three major tenders of DMRC Phase IV's underground sections, which are being financed by JICA, have been floated. The three tenders floated so far are for the Aerocity–Tughlaqabad Metro corridor. The loan agreement between Centre and JICA for sanction of funds for Delhi Metro's Phase IV expansion was signed in March this year under which an amount worth Japanese Yen 1,19,978 million, equivalent to ₹8,390 crore was sanctioned. Out of the three approved corridors of Phase IV, work had first started on the longest corridor between Janakpuri West and RK Ashram Marg in 2019 and then last year, DMRC shifted its focus completely to the smallest corridor—the 12.6 km long Majlis Park-Maujpur corridor. Work, however, has also been going on at the elevated section of the Aerocity-Tughlaqabad corridor, which features DMRC's first double-decker viaduct, which will have a 2.5 km long section between Ambedkar Nagar and Saket G Block stations with a road flyover on the lower deck and metro viaduct on the upper deck.

The three new tenders floated by DMRC include a tender for construction of underground stations at Aerocity, Mahipalpur, Vasant Kunj and Kishangarh along with a tunnel through Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM). The total length of this section is about 6.1 km and the tender will be opened on June 1 this year. The second tender is for the construction of Chattarpur, Chattarpur Mandir, IGNOU and Neb Sarai stations, along with tunnelling through TBM. The total length of this section is about 6.5 km and the tender will be opened on June 22 this year. The last tender is for a tunnel from Sangam Vihar to Sarita Vihar depot with the construction of stations at Maa Anandmayee Marg, Tughlaqabad Railway Colony and Tughlaqabad. The total length of this section is about 4.2 km and this tender too will be opened on June 22. The Aerocity–Tughlaqabad corridor of Metro Phase IV is 23.6 km long with 15 stations and construction work is already in progress on the elevated section between Sangam Vihar and Saket G Block, comprising four elevated stations, which are Sangam Vihar, Khanpur, Ambedkar Nagar and Saket G Block. DMRC is currently engaged in carrying out construction on three priority corridors that have been approved as part of Phase IV, comprising 65.1 km length and housing 46 stations.