Delhi Metro's Kalkaji Mandir-Janakpuri West in Magenta Line inaugurated: Key highlights

NEW DELHI: The long-awaited Kalkaji Mandir-Janakpuri West stretch of Delhi Metro's Magenta Line has been flagged off on Monday. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri inaugurated the newly-launched metro stretch.

Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs (Independent Charge) Hardeep Singh Puri and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal flagged off the corridor at Nehru Enclave metro station. After the inauguration, the dignitaries travelled in a train to the Hauz Khas metro station.

Passenger services on the segment, which has 16 stations - 14 underground, two elevated - will begin from Tuesday at 6 am from Kalkaji Mandir and Janakpuri West stations simultaneously.

#Delhi: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal & Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri flag off Magenta Line of Delhi Metro in Janakpuri. pic.twitter.com/iB5skQOGZq — ANI (@ANI) May 28, 2018

Speaking on the occasion, Kejriwal said that the Delhi government would soon take a decision on the delayed Phase IV of the Metro network.

With the opening of this section, the total operational span of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) network has reached to 277 km, officials said.

Here are the highlights of Delhi Metro's Kalkaji Mandir-Janakpuri West stretch: 

- The 24.82-km long metro stretch will bring domestic terminal of the city airport on the DMRC network and cut travel time between Noida and Gurgaon by at least 30 minutes.

- At 29 metres, the five-level new Hauz Khas station is the deepest metro station in the entire network and an engineering landmark as its tunnel goes beneath that of the existing station on Yellow Line.

- Hauz Khas (with Yellow Line) and Janakpuri West (with Blue Line) stations are the interchange facilities on this corridor, besides the existing Kalkaji Mandir station (with Violet Line).

- This section is also the longest stretch to have been opened so far in the DMRC's Phase-III project.

- With the opening of this stretch, the entire Janakpuri West-Botanical Garden Magenta Line corridor, covering the city's arterial Outer Ring Road, has become operational.

- Terminal 1 of the IGI Airport has also been connected to the metro network through this corridor, with an eponymous station on it.

- With the opening of the remainder of the Magneta Line, the travel time between Noida and Gurgaon will shrink by at least 30 minutes.

- The corridor will operate with 24 trains which will gradually increase to 26 apart from the operating reserves.

- The frequency will be 5 minutes and 15 seconds during peak hours through the whole section and if passenger traffic demands shorter intermediate loops with higher frequency will be introduced after studying the traffic pattern.

- The Delhi Metro is also touting the Magenta Line as a 'Knowledge Corridor' as four major universities of the Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR), have been connected on it.

(With inputs from PTI)