Delayed Metro heritage line to finally open in May

New Delhi: Delhi Metro’s Heritage Line, which has missed several deadlines, is finally set to open next month. Delhi Metro Rail Corporation said that it has applied for the safety inspection of the corridor, post which the line will be opened for the public. The corridor will provide direct connectivity from Central Delhi and Faridabad to old Delhi areas.  

The 5.17 km-long line, which is entirely underground, will connect four heritage stations including — Jama Masjid, Delhi Gate, Lal Quila, and Kashmere Gate. The line once opened, will not only bring respite to the hundreds of commuters, but the frequency of trains will also improve and will also provide a direct connectivity to old Delhi. The corridor is an extension of the Delhi Metro’s Violet Line, Escorts Mujesar (Faridabad) to ITO.

“Once the line is open, the operational constraints won’t be there, as trains will go directly to Kashmere Gate. So far, the frequency was low, as initially ITO was not supposed to be the originating station for the trains. It was opened to public early, as it was a busy area and the rest of the line was not ready by then,” an official said.

The corridor, which was slated to open by December 2015, was postponed to October 2016 and later to February this year. According to officials, the delay was because of multiple challenges that cropped up from the beginning, since these were heritage areas.

The metro officials have attributed the delay to the slow paced approvals from all heritage committees to start work. Later in October, construction work was stopped for a while because of pollution-control measures in which our machinery and labour had to be removed, they said.