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NEW DELHI: Greater Noida is all set to become the next destination for the Delhi Metro network. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation has been paid in full by the Noida authority for making a detailed project report for a 30-km-plus corridor from Noida Sector 62 to Greater Noida via Noida Sector 32, where the Metro Rail is all set to reach by June 2009.

What has helped the cause of Greater Noida in getting the nod for the project is the autonomous nature of the Greater Noida and Noida authorities that also have enormous financial resources at their disposal.

The link, which would drastically reduce travelling time to Greater Noida and Noida Sector 62, is expected to become a reality soon since work on the 7-km New Ashok Nagar-Noida Sector 32 line has been progressing well. The Noida authority, DMRC sources said, have already released the payment due till April 2007. So far the Noida Authority has paid DMRC a fourth of the cost of the project.

The agreement for the Rs. 736-crore Noida Metro Rail project was signed in April 2006 between DMRC and Noida. Under the pact, of the total cost of Rs. 736 crores, Noida will bear the cost of land that would be around Rs. 32 crores, while DMRC will bear the Rs. 93-crore cost for rolling stock. As for the Rs. 611-crore capital cost of the network, it would be shared by Uttar Pradesh Government and the Union Government in the ratio of 85:15. The line will have six stations at Noida Sector 15, Sector 16, Sector 18, Botanical Garden, Golf Course and Sector 32 City Centre.

The Noida Sector 62-Greater Noida corridor will connect the Delhi-Noida Metro line at Sector 32 and therefore provide a large number of people in both Noida and Greater Noida access to the fast expanding Delhi Metro network. Already work on the Noida line is progressing fast and pillars for the elevated section have started coming up all along the route.

DMRC is hopeful of completing the Noida extension by June 2009 along with the 8.07 km Indraprastha-New Ashok Nagar corridor. The line -- which on the other end extends up to Dwarka Sub City now -- would thus come up before the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi.

A senior DMRC official said as for the connectivity to Greater Noida, that too is likely to become a reality by the time the Games are held if all the clearances come through on time.

But for that to happen, the proposal would have to be passed by the Uttar Pradesh Government and then would have to be approved by Delhi Government and the Centre.

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