The Delhi Metro’s Rithala-Narela corridor will be extended to Kundli-Nathupur in Haryana, as announced by Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot on Wednesday.
The Delhi government has given its principal approval for the extension and will soon submit the proposal to the Centre, allowing the project to move to the tendering stage, according to Gahlot.
This metro extension will span a total of 23.73 kilometres, with 2.72 kilometres located in Haryana. Gahlot shared these details during a press conference, adding that the extension will feature 19 stations between Rithala and Narela, with two additional stations in Haryana. The project, estimated to cost Rs 6,230.99 crore, is expected to be completed within four years.
Gahlot highlighted that the corridor will provide essential connectivity to rural areas along the Delhi-Haryana border, where buses are currently the only mode of public transport. With the metro extension, commuters from these areas will be able to reach central Delhi within approximately one and a half hours.
“This extension will not only benefit the residents of Kundli and Nathupur but also those in nearby villages,” Gahlot stated.
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The Rithala-Narela-Nathupur corridor is part of the larger Delhi Metro Phase-4 project, which includes six corridors: Mukundpur (Majlis Park)-Maujpur, Aerocity-Tughlakabad, Janakpuri West-RK Ashram, Lajpat Nagar-Saket G Block, Inderlok-Indraprastha, and Rithala-Narela-Nathupur.
Gahlot further added that under the leadership of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, the expansion of the metro network aims to reduce travel time, ease road congestion, and encourage the use of public transport, which will also help combat pollution.
The minister also expressed his hope that Kejriwal, who has been in prison since March due to an alleged excise policy scam, would be granted bail soon. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader’s bail pleas on Thursday.