GREATER NOIDA: With the reins of the UP government in new hands, Yamuna ExpresswayIndustrial Development Authority (YEIDA) has decided to revive the high-speed Metro link project between Greater Noida and the proposed international airport at Jewar. In a meeting held last week, officials of YEIDA discussed the issue with Delhi Metro Rail Corporation and the latter is likely to revert to YEIDA within a week on whether the project and cost would be feasible.
The corridor was first proposed by YEIDA board in February 2014 and again in June 2015. In June 2016, the DMRC had told YEIDA that it was too early to prepare a techno-economic feasibility report (TEFR) for the proposed corridor and suggested that it be done after five years.
According to YEIDA officials, they decided to revive the project in order to provide connectivity to the rapidly urbanizing area.
The proposed 35-km Metro track will be aligned at the road level along the Yamuna Expressway. It will link the zero point of the Yamuna Expressway in Greater Noida to YEIDA’s proposed Jewar airport.
This track will also be linked to the under-construction 29.7km Metro corridor connecting Noida and Greater Noida. “We have asked DMRC to study the primary feasibility of the project along with the cost,” said Arunvir Singh, chief executive officer, YEIDA.
“DMRC will conduct an initial feasibility study and will let us know, after which we will take the project further and ask them to prepare a TEFR for the proposed project,” he said.
The proposed line is expected to not only provide a fast link between the two townships of Greater Noida and YEIDA, but also bring these places closer to the national capital by boosting connectivity.
According to officials, the cost for putting in place an elevated Metro track is estimated at nearly Rs 200 crore/km. By the same formula, the YEIDA
Metro should cost more than Rs 7,000 crore.
However, YEIDA has asked DMRC to study the feasibility and financial viability of running the Metro at the road level along the expressway.
This will bring down the cost to almost Rs 40-50 crore/kilometre.
“The population in Greater Noida and YEIDA is set to increase considerably. Besides, several new housing schemes are also in the pipeline. Considering that thousands of more people will come to reside in the area, the Metro link will prove to be very useful. It will also serve the several proposed residential, industrial and IT units along the expressway besides the proposed Jewar international airport.”
On February 2, 2014, the YEIDA board proposed the Metro track to run along the Yamuna expressway between Pari Chowk in Greater Noida and Sector 22 in the YEIDA area.
On June 24, 2015, the then CEO of YEIDA Santosh Yadav decided to take the Metro track further up to Jewar. This track was proposed to be 38km long between Knowledge Park II in Greater Noida and Jewar area.
However, in October 2015, YEIDA once again changed the route of the proposed Metro alignment.
The new proposal linked a 20-km Metro corridor between the zero-point of the Yamuna Expressway in Greater Noida to YEIDA’s Sector 20.