Delhi Metro rolls into Noida, Mayawati plans extension

New Delhi/Noida, Nov 12 : Thursday marked an important day in the history of Delhi Metro as it rolled out of city limits for the first time into neighbouring Noida in Uttar Pradesh, where plans for an extension are already being laid. Services on the new line will open for the public Friday.

Delhi Chief Minister Shiela Dikshit along with Urban Development Minister Jaipal Reddy flagged off the train from Akshardham Metro station in Delhi. Hours later Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati arrived in a chartered helicopter near the Noida's City Centre station and flagged off the train for Delhi around 3.15 p.m.

"It is the first time Delhi Metro is entering another state and it is a great honour for DMRC. The Delhi Metro is stepping out of its confines and into the state of Uttar Pradesh. This will be the first step of getting the Metro into the state of Uttar Pradesh," Dikshit said.

The Yamuna Bank-Noida City Centre Metro is an elevated stretch and has 10 stations. This east Delhi segment will be integrated with the operational line towards Dwarka Sector-9 in southwest Delhi.

The DMRC estimates that 53,000 passengers will be added to its daily number of 900,000 commuters once the Noida corridor opens to public Friday.

On the occasion, Jaipal Reddy said: "This is a historic line. My ambition would be to go from Delhi as far as the routes (Metro) are commercially viable for the public. People who visit India must make it a point to visit the metro facility."

Elaborating on her plans to extend Metro services into Uttar Pradesh, Mayawati said: "Our government is trying to extend Metro rail services to the rest of the state, starting with Greater Noida and the remaining parts of Noida. We also want to connect the proposed airport at Javer (near Greater Noida) with the Metro."

"Thanks to this service, Noida will be counted amongst the world's technically advanced cities and this will impact the development of Noida and Greater Noida. Via this media forum, I extend the plea to the central government to approve the (Javer) airport proposal so that the SEZs in this area can be developed," she added.

While on one hand Metro was celebrating their entry into another state, there was growing public discontent about the Delhi Metro's decision to increase fares, which also comes into force Friday.

DMRC managing director E. Sreedharan justified the hike, saying that the fare was increased by 36 percent but the consumer price index increased by a lot more.

Public frenzy took over barely an hour after the launch as hundreds of curious onlookers thronged the Noida City Centre station and even moved on to Metro tracks posing serious doubts about security in the Uttar Pradesh town adjoining Delhi.

DMRC officials said that the security of the Delhi Metro in Uttar Pradesh will be looked after by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), which looks after the security of all Delhi Metro installations in the national capital.

DMRC spokesperson Anuj Dayal said that the Metro station and tracks would be completely sanitised before operations begin Friday.

"CISF will take over the security Friday and we also have a private security agency. We will not allow any unauthorised entry tomorrow and anyone caught will be prosecuted as per the law," Dayal told IANS.

The Delhi-Noida Metro corridor could bring about a drastic change in the travelling habits of thousands of people in trans-Yamuna areas -- Mayur Vihar and Ashok Nagar in east Delhi and Noida -- and is likely to ease traffic on the Noida Highway as well as at the ITO junction.