The Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) plans to develop a major interchange at Sahibabad, connecting the existing Rapid Rail Transport System (RRTS) corridor to the proposed Metro extension from Sector 62 to Sahibabad, officials said on Thursday.
GDA officials said they will soon meet with officials from the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to reassess the metro corridor.
In the detailed project reports (DPRs) provided by DMRC to GDA in January 2020, the proposed Noida Sector 62 to Sahibabad route entails a budget of ₹1,517 crore, while the proposed Vaishali to Mohan Nagar route requires ₹1,808.22 crore.
Brijesh Kumar, secretary, GDA, said, “We will soon hold meetings with DMRC officials to reassess the feasibility of the Sector 62 to Sahibabad Metro extension (Blue Line). Sahibabad already has a RRTS station coming up, and our focus is to integrate the two systems for the benefit of residents. Following the meeting, the DMRC will be requested to prepare a revised project report that incorporates the interchange in Sahibabad.”
The RRTS corridor, spanning 82km, aims to connect three cities-Delhi (three stations), Ghaziabad (eight stations), and Meerut (14 stations) using RapidX trains with a design speed of 180kmph.
In Ghaziabad, the priority section of 17km, comprising five stations in Sahibabad, Ghaziabad City, Guldhar, Duhai, and Duhai Depot, is nearly complete and scheduled for inauguration in the coming weeks.
The RRTS stations at Sarai Kale Khan, Anand Vihar, and Ghaziabad City have been proposed as interchange hubs with the Metro train services network, while GDA now focuses on integrating the RRTS Sahibabad stations with the Sector-62 to Sahibabad metro.
However, funding has become a major issue for GDA due to a shortage of funds, and the state government declined to provide state funding for the two proposed metro extensions in Ghaziabad in January. During a recent meeting in May, state officials denied 50 percent of the state government’s requested share for the GDA.
“The state officials have denied 50% of the share for the two extensions. Currently, our focus is on developing Sector-62 to Sahibabad to facilitate integration with the RRTS Sahibabad station,” Kumar further added.
The officials of NCR transport corporation, agency which is developing the RRTS project, said that they have already made provision at the Sahibabad station for multi-modal integration.
“We already have integration with UP Roadways bus station wth RRTS station at Sahibabad. We have already made provision at Sahibabad and it has been designed in such a manner that future integration with other modes like the metro can be made,” said Puneet Vats, chief PRO of NCRTC.
Officials said that the project cost of ₹1,517 crore for the Sector-62 to Sahibabad metro extension was based on 2020 prices, and it is expected to increase if the report is revised to reflect current prices.
According to the RRTS project report, the 82km project will have a daily ridership of 800,000 passengers. The 17km priority section in Ghaziabad has a deadline of June 2023, while the entire 82km RRTS project is set to be completed by March 2025.
Due to a lack of funds, GDA has been exploring various options for connecting the two metro extensions over the past year and a half. During this time, GDA officials proposed a ropeway link and considered Metrolite, a light rail urban transit system for cities with lower ridership, as well as Metro Neo, a low-cost mass rapid transit system for tier 2 and tier 3 cities.
