GDA scouts funds for Rs. 3,325-cr metro lines in NCR
TheUP government has recently held a high-powered meeting to explore financing options for the two new Metro extensions in Ghaziabad — Mohan Nagar to Vaishali and Sector 62 Noida to Sahibabad. The lines from Vaishali to Mohan Nagar and Noida Sector 62 to Sahibabad will link Ghaziabad’s Red Line to the Delhi Metro’s Blue Line. According to the budget estimate by the DMRC, GDA needs Rs.1,517 crore for the Noida Sector-62 to Sahibabad route and Rs.1,808.22 crore for the Vaishali to Mohan Nagar route, said GDA Chief Engineer Rakesh Kumar Gupta. Due to a lack of funds, GDA has been considering various options for connecting the two Metro extensions for the past one year. During this time, it proposed a ropeway link connection and even Metrolite - a light rail urban transit system for cities with low ridership that can also serve as a feeder system for existing Metro systems - and Metro Neo - a low-cost mass rapid transit system for tier 2 and tier 3 cities. However, locals preferred metro connectivity over other modes of transportation.