Noida Metro floats tenders for Aqua-Line corridor

The Noida Metro Rail Corporation (NMRC) is all set to float tenders for Aqua Line's Greater Noida corridor, which will branch out from Sector 51 to Knowledge Park 5. Once ready, this 15-km extension will link the Greater Noida sectors with Delhi Metro's Blue Line and improve connectivity with the Capital. This will prove to be a crucial transport link for residents living in Greater Noida, where thousands of flats will be delivered by next year. Another key Aqua-Line route — from Sector 142 to Botanical Garden — has been finalized by the NMRC, but it is being vetted by the metro board. The route map will then be sent to the Centre for approval. The detailed project report for the third extension — Boraki to Metro Depot — is being prepared by NMRC. Ritu Maheshwari, NMRC MD, informed that work on the Greater Noida corridor (Sector 51 to Knowledge Park V) will start first because its plan has been approved by the cabinet. Knowledge Park, the last station on the route, has a number of educational institutes and once the stretch is built, it will benefit students who now have to depend on other modes to reach the nearest Aqua-Line station. The Greater Noida corridor will be built in two phases — the first one will be 9.6-km long from Sector 51 to Greater Noida 2 with five stations — sectors 122, 123, Greater Noida sectors 2, 4 and Ecotech 12 — and is estimated to cost ₹430 crore. All these stations will be on an elevated platform and are expected to be built by 2022. The second phase will have four stations — Greater Noida sectors 3, 10 and 12, and Knowledge Park 5. Aqua-Line currently has no interface with Delhi Metro, affecting both its financial viability and ridership.