Noida-Gr Noida Metro inaugurated opens for public Saturday

(Eds: Corrects station in para 2, Tandon's desig in para 6; fresh info)
    Noida (UP), Jan 25 (PTI) The much-awaited metro rail linking Noida and Greater Noida in Gautam Buddh Nagar was inaugurated on Friday by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
    Also known as the Aqua Line, the rail service connecting the twin-cities would run between Sector 51 station in Noida and the Depot Station in Greater Noida, covering a distance of 29.7 km, and has been built for Rs 5,503 crores, officials said.
    There are a total of 21 stations on the corridor - 15 of them in Noida and six in Greater Noida – all of them elevated, the Noida Metro Rail Corporation (NMRC) said.
    "Today we dedicate the Noida-Greater Noida metro rail to the people of the region. The Aqua Line, which has been completed in record time, will provide better connectivity to the region and prove to be a milestone in development of the region," Adityanath said.
    The NMRC said the rail service would begin for citizens on Saturday, while regular rides from 6 am to 10 pm would begin Monday onwards.
    "On Saturday, rail services would begin at 10 am and continue till 5 pm, on Sunday the timings will be from 8 am to 10 pm. Monday onwards the regular rides will commence from 6 am to 10 pm at an interval of 15 minutes each," NMRC Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Alok Tandon said.
    Union ministers Hardeep Singh Puri, Mahesh Sharma,  UP Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma, Cabinet minister Satish Kahana were present at the inauguration ceremony with senior officials of the Noida Authority, Greater Noida Authority and the Yamuna Expressway Authority.
    Noida MLA Pankaj Singh, Greater Noida MLA Dhirendra Singh, and Dadri MLA Tejpal Singh Nagar were also present along with Gautam Buddh Nagar District Magistrate B N Singh.
    Adityanath, who took the inaugural ride from Sector 137 metro station to the Depot Station, said the Aqua Line would prove to be effective in making the region the "growth engine" of the state and the country.
    He also lauded the local agencies for completing the project in record time, as he took a jibe at previous governments in the state as well as at the Centre for delayed projects.
    "The most significant point, this metro project had got the Centre's approval in June 2017, and today in January 2019 we are inaugurating it. 
    "I thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Urban Development Minister Hardeep Puri for their support. This project's completion in record time proves the efficiency of local authorities as well as highlights the potential of Uttar Pradesh to become the growth engine of the country," he said.
    The chief minister said the metro rail network in Ghaziabad would be soon expanded, while revised detailed project reports (DPRs) for metro rail in Agra, Meerut and Kanpur have been sent to the central government.
    "It is essential to provide basic facilities to the people which is the responsibility of any government. Nobody goes to the life of crime just like that... We are working to provide ample opportunities, civic amenities and jobs to the people and address problems of the farmers," he said.
    He also alluded to the district being infamous for crime till a couple of years ago, and said things have changed for better and global firms have expressed interest to invest in Noida and Greater Noida.
    "We need to provide a better environment for investments to come in," he said, adding the metro rail would ensure connectivity to the hitherto isolated region.
    The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), which operates the Delhi Metro, will assist the NMRC over the next one year in operating the Aqua Line.
    The Aqua line has 19 rakes with four cars each, which officials said can be extended depending on requirement.
    From Noida, the metro will begin from Sector 51 and halt at Sector 50, 76, 101, 81, NSEZ, Sector 83, 137, 142, 143, 144, 145, 146, 147, 148, and then at Greater Noida's Knowledge Park II, Pari Chowk, Alpha 1, Delta 1, GNIDA Office and Depot metro stations.
    However, a major concern among the people has been that the interchange stations of the DMRC-operated Blue Line and the NMRC's Aqua Line are not seamless.
    Commuters from Noida and Greater Noida wishing to board the Blue Line for Delhi will have to get down at Sector 51 metro station and then reach Noida City Centre metro station, a distance of 2.5 km.
    NMRC officials say the trouble would reduce once the Blue Line's Sector 52 metro station begins operation, which is at a distance of around 300 metres from the Aqua Line's Sector 51 metro station.
    "A skywalk or a foot-over bridge or some dedicated corridor could be built to directly link the two stations in near future," a senior official told PTI.
    The official, however, said the Blue Line's extension was expected to begin around March or April.
    The NMRC said commuters can buy QR-coded paper tickets or use the smart cards to get 10 per cent discount on fares. The minimum fare on the Aqua Line is Rs 10 (Rs 9 on smart card) and the maximum is Rs 50.
    The 49th battalion of the UP PAC has been entrusted with the responsibility of security on the Aqua Line, while some private security personnel trained by the the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) will also be deployed, it said.
    All stations of this corridor have platform screen doors, water harvesting facility and solar panels, which can generate power up to 10 MW, officials said.
    The trains are designed to run at a maximum speed of 80 kmph, clocking an average speed of 37.5 kmph. Seat reservation through different colours has been done in the coaches for ladies, senior citizens and differently-abled persons.
    A dedicated space has been provided for wheelchair in driving trailer cars at both the ends of the trains, according to officials.
    The Aqua Line, whose construction started in May 2015 and was completed in record time, was initially expected to be opened for public in November and then December in 2018. PTI KIS DPB
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