DMRC fourth phase expansion: Delhi Metro's half of civil work on all 3 priority corridors complete, say officials

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) said on Sunday, June 30 that more than half of the work on the three key lines for Delhi Metro's fourth phase extension project has been completed.

According to DMRC official, the new 65-kilometre network will be operational by 2026.

"The Phase 4 expansion project is moving quickly, with the goal of launching all three priority routes, totaling 65 kilometres of additional lines, by 2026," said DMRC authorities.

Though construction on the fourth phase extension project began in December 2019, development was considerably slowed from 2020 to 2022 because of the Covid epidemic and difficulties in obtaining authorization to remove trees, they stated.

An agency official said work on the expansion project had been going only since the past one-and-a-half to two years, giving the DMRC about four years to complete the expansion project.

"At present, more than 50 per cent progress has already been achieved on all three corridors. On the Majlis Park-Maujpur corridor, about 80 per cent civil work has been completed," the DMRC's principal executive director of corporate communications Anuj Dayal said.

"Tunneling work is in progress on various stretches of the Aerocity-Tughlakabad (Golden Line) and the Janakpuri West-RK Ashram Marg (Magenta Line) corridors," he added.
Despite the adverse Covid situation and delay in getting various permissions, the Phase 4 section from Janakpuri West to Krishna Park Extension is now almost complete and is likely to open by August, Dayal said.

The entire Majlis Park-Maujpur corridor is also likely to open next year. The remaining sections of the priority corridors are expected to open in phases by 2026, he said.

However, certain permissions for tree cutting and acquisition of land pockets at isolated locations are still pending, the official claimed.

The project is being monitored at various levels daily and site visits are taken up at the highest level to expedite the work. Permissions to cut trees are being pursued at appropriate levels, Dayal said.

Two more corridors under Phase 4 -- Inderlok-Indraprastha and Saket G Block-Lajpat Nagar -- also received approval recently.

The DMRC is seeking clearances for land acquisition, clearing forests and cutting trees. Further processes on planning and tendering for civil works are underway, Dayal said.

With agency inputs