Good news for travellers! Cabinet approves Delhi Metro expansion; 13 new stations, including 10 underground, to come up

The Union Cabinet, on Wednesday, approved the expansion of the Delhi Metro with three new corridors as part of the metro rail's Phase V (A) project. The expansion will comprise 13 stations, out of which 10 would be underground. Three stations would be elevated.

The Delhi Metro extension would cover the following routes:

1. RK Ashram Marg to Indraprastha (9.913 km),

2. Aerocity to IGD Airport T-1 (2.263 km)

3. Tughlakabad to Kalindi Kunj (3.9 km)

The Central Vista corridor will link all the Kartavya Bhawans, offering seamless, doorstep access for office-goers and visitors in the area.

The expansion of the Delhi Metro announced on Friday will significantly impact carbon dioxide levels in the city, as the public transportation carries about 6.5 million commuters in the national capital on an average day, said Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwani Vaishnaw.

"There are days when Delhi Metro has carried even 8 million people in a day, and the average is 6.5 million. This infrastructure is so important, without that, Delhi's condition would be significantly far worse. That is the reason for this expansion," said the minister, who also holds the portfolios of railways and electronics and information technology.

Delhi’s air pollution this year has remained very poor-to-severe during the winter months. On 24 December, Air Quality Index (AQI) hit around 349—'very poor’. In the recent past, there were several days when AQI crossed 400—'severe’ level, creating a thick blanket of smog that disrupted routine life and reduced visibility.

The pollution crisis is largely attributed to a combination of factors, including high vehicular emissions, dust from construction and roads, industrial pollution, biomass waste and stubble burning in neighbouring states. Unfavourable meteorological conditions such as low wind speed, temperature inversion and high moisture levels further aggravated the situation by trapping pollutants close to the ground.

Delhi's air quality worsens every year in the October-December period and reaches 'severe' levels on the air quality index, according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data.

Delhi has breathed ‘poor’, ‘very poor’, or ‘severe’ air for over 40% of the year, every year since 2022, according to the CPCB data. An AQI of zero to 50 is considered ‘good’, 51-100 is ‘satisfactory’, 101-200 ‘moderate’, 201-300 ‘poor’, 301-400 ‘very poor’, and 401-500 is ‘severe’.

Delhi Metro expansion – new routes, stations at a glance

— RK Ashram Marg–Indraprastha section: It will be an extension of the Botanical Garden-RK Ashram Marg corridor, providing Metro connectivity to the Central Vista area.

The stations which shall come up under this section include: RK Ashram Marg, Shivaji Stadium, Central Secretariat, Kartavya Bhawan, India Gate, War Memorial - High Court, Baroda House, Bharat Mandapam, and Indraprastha.

Aerocity–IGD Airport Terminal 1 and Tughlakabad–Kalindi Kunj sections will be an extension of the Aerocity-Tughlakabad corridor, which is expected to boost connectivity of the airport with the southern parts of the national capital in areas such as Tughlakabad, Saket, and Kalindi Kunj.

The stations under Tughlakabad–Kalindi Kunj section include: Sarita Vihar Depot, Madanpur Khadar, and Kalindi Kunj.

The Aerocity station will be connected further with the IGD T-1 station.

The Cabinet's nod for the expansion comes with the Delhi Metro marking 23 years of operation on Wednesday. To date, the Delhi metro network has expanded to over 352 km and 257 stations across 10 lines, including the Airport Line.

The Maujpur-Majlis Park corridor is a key component of Delhi Metro's Phase-IV expansion and serves as an extension of the existing Pink Line. Upon completion, it is expected to mark a significant milestone by becoming India's first circular ring metro line, enhancing connectivity and urban mobility across the capital.