The new section of Durgabai Deshmukh-Lajpat Nagar in Delhi Metro's Pink Line has become operational from 1:00 pm today. This new stretch comes as a big relief to commuters as it is expected to take major traffic away from Delhi's arterial roads. This section is 8.1 km long and is part of the Delhi Metro Pink Line from Majlis Park to Shiv Vihar. The stretch was inaugurated by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Minister of State (Independent Charge), Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri at 9:30 am via remote control. The new section has six stations - Sir Vishweshariah Moti Bagh, Bhikaji Cama Place, Sarojini Nagar, INA, South Extension and Lajpat Nagar. Except Moti Bagh all five are underground. INA and Lajpat Nagar are also interchange stations for the Yellow Line and the Violet Line respectively. The Durgabai Deshmukh-Lajpat Nagar section will reduce travel time for commuters drastically. One will be able to travel from INA to Rajouri Garden in 23 minutes, instead of the earlier 40 minutes. Lajpat Nagar to Rajouri Garden would be 28 minutes now, instead of the earlier 45 minutes, while it will take one 39 minutes instead of 47 minutes to travel from Lajpat Nagar to Netaji Subhas Place in the Red Line. Twenty trains will ply from Majlis Park to Lajpat Nagar with a frequency of 5 minutes 25 seconds during peak hours from Monday to Saturday. On Sundays, 9 trains will make the rounds, with a frequency of 5 minutes 45 sec seconds, as mentioned by a Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Limited (DMRC) spokesperson. The spokesperson also said that the remaining section of the Pink Line would be operational by September this year. The first stretch of the Pink Line was opened on March 14, connecting the North and South campuses of Delhi University. The metro stations in this section has also been done up beautifully with artworks from abstract to traditional ones. The Bhikaji Cama Place metro station has a five-storey complex while the Moti Bagh station has a subway made by box pushing technique. The highlight of this new stretch, however, is that it is going to be a boon for shoppers as it connects four of Delhi's most popular markets - INA, Sarojini Nagar, South Extension and Lajpat Nagar. These markets are also going to benefit from the metro stations as footfall is expected to increase due to easy access. With a length of 59 km, Majlis Park to Shiv Vihar is the longest metro route with 38 stations. The operational length of the Delhi Metro is 296 km. (Edited by Anwesha Madhukalya)<doc-sep>The much-awaited Delhi Metro Rail Corporation’s Pink Line connecting popular shopping centres such as Sarojini Nagar, INA, South Extension and Lajpat Nagar was thrown open to the public on Monday. "The Lajpat Nagar – Durgabai Deshmukh South Campus section of Delhi Metro’s Pink Line has been flagged off for passenger services by Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of State (Independent Charge), Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry, Arvind Kejriwal, Chief Minister, National Capital Territory of Delhi today (Monday)," Anuj Dayal, Executive Director, Corporate Communications, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation said. The section was flagged off via remote from Metro Bhawan at 09:30 am, DMRC sources said. Addressing the gathering on the occasion, Puri said, “Metro serves a very useful purpose because it takes the pressure off private means of transport and brings more people to an efficient, green mode of public transport.” Kejriwal applauded the Delhi Metro on the opening and said, “It is a day of happiness for the people of Delhi as a section of the Pink Line from Durgabai Deshmukh South Campus to Lajpat Nagar is being started. This section will connect the city’s prominent markets by Metro. The problem of parking in these markets will also be solved. ” Anant Kumar, Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers and Parliamentary Affairs appreciated that the Motibagh Metro station had been named after Sir Vishveshwaraiah, one of India’s greatest engineers and educationists. He said the naming of the station after Sir Vishveshwaraiah was a great gift for the people of Karnataka. The Ambassador of Japan to India, Kenji Hiramatsu said the Delhi Metro was comfortable, time-saving and was a “catalyst for the development of environment-friendly mass transit travel systems in India”. DMRC’s Managing Director Mangu Singh said the Durgabai Deshmukh South Campus - Lajpat Nagar Metro corridor was a small but important extension of the Delhi Metro network as it connects important markets of the city. SLIDESHOW: Delhi Metro: First glimpses of Moti Bagh-Lajpat Nagar stretch of Pink Line The 8.10-kilometre long section consists of six stations, including two interchange stations at Lajpat Nagar and INA. After the opening of the section, the length of the Delhi Metro will be 296 kilometres with 214 Metro stations. All the six stations of the newly inaugurated section were also awarded with the Platinum rating by the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) for adherence to green building norms. With the completion of this corridor, the Majlis Park-Lajpat Nagar section will cover 29.6 kilometres. The first stretch from Majlis Park to South Campus was opened in March this year. As per DMRC, the third segment of the line that will run from Trilokpuri to Shiv Vihar will be opened for public use in August. The final stretch from Lajpat Nagar to Mayur Vihar, which will cover 15 kilometres, is expected to open in September. With this, the whole line will be in operation. Pink Line, which comes under the Delhi Metro Phase III network covers a stretch of 59 kilometres running from Majlis Park to Shiv Vihar and shall save commuters somewhere between 6 to 20 minutes. The total network under Phase III after the opening of this section will be 106 km, DMRC said. vandana.ramnani@nw18.com<doc-sep>The Lajpat Nagar-Durgabai Deshmukh South Campus corridor of Delhi Metro’s Pink Line was flagged off by Union Minister Hardeep Puri and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday. Speaking at the event, Mr. Puri said that it was unlikely that there will be a fare hike in 2019 as the ridership was increasing. “The ridership is increasing and the projection for Phase 3, once it’s fully operational, is 39 lakhs. The average for the last 20 days has been 28 lakhs. With an increasing ridership, the revenue is also increasing and hence we might not have to hike fares,” said Mr. Puri. Mr. Puri further added that a proposal to provide concessional passes for students and senior citizens will be considered. Mr. Kejriwal said, “With the current section, the Delhi Metro network is now expanded to over 296 kilometres. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has provided comfortable and green transport to the people of Delhi.” The 8.1 kilometre long stretch, which is a part of the Majlis Park-Shiv Vihar line, has six stations and two interchange stations at INA (Yellow Line) and Lajpat Nagar (Violet Line).<doc-sep>New Delhi: Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday inaugurated the Durgabai Deshmukh South Campus-Lajpat Nagar section of Delhi Metro’s Pink Line, which links four major shopping centres in the city. The newly-inaugurated section has six stations. Sir Vishveshwaraiah Moti Bagh is an elevated metro station, whereas Bhikaji Kama Place, and INA, Sarojini Nagar, South Extension and Lajpat Nagar —all major market areas - are underground stations. The six stations are platinum rated by Indian Green Building Council for adhering to environment-friendly building norms, DMRC officials said. With the inauguration of this line 7, the Delhi Metro network has expanded to 296 km spread through 214 stations. Puri, the union minister of housing and urban affairs, said the inauguration of the newly-constructed eight-kilometre section was a moment of pride for people of Delhi. Union minister Anant Kumar was present at the ceremony to inaugurate the metro section remotely from the Metro Bhawan. “The Phase-III has been completed in seven years, which is half the time it took for completion of Phase-I and Phase-II. The credit for this goes to the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DRMC) and not to any political party," Puri said. He praised Japan’s cooperation and Japan International Cooperation Agency for developing metro rail network in India. “I have been told that our metro rail network has crossed 500-km mark... Out of the 500 km, more than 300 km has been completed with the cooperation of Japan and JICA," he said, adding that work is underway on another 620 km network. Chief minister Kejriwal said the new line connecting four major market hubs will help in solving parking problems in the busy areas. Japan’s ambassador to India Kenji Hiramatsu hoped his country’s knowledge in the area of public transportation and urban development would meaningfully contribute to efficient planning of metro projects and environment-friendly urban spaces in India. The 8.10-km-long Durgabai Deshmukh South Campus-Lajpat Nagar section has interchange facilities at INA (with Yellow Line) and Lajpat Nagar (Violet Line). This stretch is a part of the 59-km-long Majlis Park-Shiv Vihar Corridor (Pink Line), which falls under the Phase-III network of DMRC. The total operational network of Phase-III after opening of this section has increased to 106 km, DMRC said. The first corridor of the Pink Line, from Majlis Park to South Campus was opened on 14 March, connecting the north and south campuses of the Delhi University on the DMRC network. A total of 23 trains will be put into service, with a frequency of 5 minutes and 12 seconds during peak hours and 5 minutes and 45 seconds during non-peak hours, the officials said. DMRC managing director Mangu Singh also attended the inaugural ceremony. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now! ! Topics<doc-sep>
Pink line metro inauguration: The 8.10 km-long section has six stations. The over 8 km-long South Campus-Lajpat Nagar section of the Delhi Metro's Pink Line was flagged off today by Union minister Hardeep Puri and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, linking four major shopping destinations in the city. Metro service for commuters would begin from 1 pm. Mr Puri, who is the urban affairs minister, termed the flagging off a proud moment for Delhi. The 8.10 km-long Durgabai Deshmukh South Campus-Lajpat Nagar section has six stations, including interchange facilities at INA (with Yellow Line) and Lajpat Nagar (Violet Line). The section is billed as a "corridor for shoppers" as it is connected to four major markets of the city. Four major markets of the city will be connected on one stretch of the network that will also cut travel time for commuters by up to 20 minutes. The new stations are -- Sir Vishveshariah Moti Bagh, Bhikhaji Cama Place, Sarojini Nagar, INA, South Extension and Lajpat Nagar. Only Sir Vishveshariah Moti Bagh station is elevated, and the rest all are underground. This stretch is part of the 59 km-long Majlis Park-Shiv Vihar corridor (Pink Line) which falls under the Phase-III network of the DMRC. A total of 23 trains will ply on the route, with a frequency of 5 minutes and 12 seconds during peak hours and 5 minutes and 45 seconds during non-peak hours, the senior official said. The travel time between INA and Rajouri Garden stations would reduce from 40 minutes to 23 minutes; Lajpat Nagar-Rajouri Garden stations from 45 to 28 minutes and Lajpat Nagar and Netaji Subhas Place (Red Line) from 47 minutes to 39 minutes, he said. Lajpat Nagar currently served by a station on the Violet Line has a bustling Central Market in its vicinity, and the DMRC is expecting a jump in the station's footfall, once the new station on the Pink Line becomes operational. Shoppers and regular commuters travelling to INA Market (neighbours Delhi Haat), Sarojini Nagar Market and South Extension Market areas will also save time once the stretch becomes operational. The new stations have been tastefully decorated, especially INA, Sarojini Nagar, Sir Vishveshariah Moti Bagh and Lajpat Nagar. The first corridor of the Pink Line, from Majlis Park to South Campus was opened on March 14, connecting the north and south campuses of the Delhi University on the DMRC network for the first time. The total operational network of Phase-III after opening of this section would increase to 106 km, the DMRC said. (with inputs from PTI)