Once the new coaches are procured, the four coach trains will be converted into six-coach and the six-coach ones into eight coach trains to reduce congestion.

New Delhi: The Delhi Metro’s proposal for the procurement of 916 new coaches to tackle overcrowding of the trains has been lying in limbo for around one-and-a-half years in the want of approvals. Sources said that the Union urban development ministry is waiting for the Delhi Government’s go ahead on the proposal.

Once the new coaches are procured, the four coach trains will be converted into six-coach and the six-coach ones into eight coach trains to reduce congestion.

Citing “extreme overcrowding” and a growth of 17.5 per cent in the annual ridership recorded over the last five years, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation had in June last year proposed to procure additional rolling stock for its existing as well as upcoming corridors. After assessing the requirement, it was finalised to add 916 coaches at a cost of `14,684 crore.

The Detailed Project Report (DPR) for which was sent to the ministry of urban development and the Delhi Government for the requisite approvals.

The Centre and the Delhi Government being the equal stakeholders in the DMRC, the Metro proposals have to be approved by both the governments.

Sources said that looking at the urgency to add new coaches, the ministry is ready to give its green signal to the proposal however, the city government’s nod is mandatory to proceed on the matter. Out of these 916 coaches, 434 coaches are to be procured for the fourth phase expansion of the Delhi Metro network, while the remaining 472 coaches will be utilised for the existing corridors and the corridors under phase three network.

The Delhi Metro at present operates 1,396 coaches and an addition of 916 coaches will bolster its network with an increase of a whopping 65 per cent. The move would significantly reduce the crowding of the trains.

The third phase of the metro network will be completed by next year but the proposal to procure new coaches sent in June 2016 has not been given a green signal yet. Although the Corporation has enough coaches for the train operations as part of its third phase, the delay in getting approvals can lead to troubles in future as the procurement process takes time. The DMRC’s fleet at present has 227 trains out of which 100 trains are of six coach each, 58 trains of eight coaches and 41 trains of four coaches.