Residents of Noida and East Delhi will have to wait for some more time for the Metro trains as DMRC today said these areas will be able to enjoy the comforts of the new age transport system only by December.
DMRC Managing Director E Sreedharan said the 13.1 km long Yamuna Bank-Noida Corridor will be inaugurated by the first week of December while the Anand Vihar section is likely to be thrown open to public by December-end or early January.
"The Noida corridor will be opened at one go. We are waiting for trains to come and we need at least seven trains to start operations on this corridor. We hope to get these trains by November and start the operations by early December," he told reporters.
Known for completing projects ahead of schedule, this will be the first time that the Delhi Metro will miss its deadline, thanks to the extra checks being conducted by the DMRC which is overcautious after a few mishaps. Stressing that there was no need for anxiety with regards to safety, Sreedharan said 11 cantilever piers on the Noida corridor are being strengthened as a precautionary measure and the work will be over in a month.
He added the Anand Vihar line will be opened as soon as we get the required number of trains. "We have a shortage of trains. Once we get the trains, they have to go through a rigorous process of checking and testing. Only after the DMRC is fully satisfied, we induct them into service".
Delhi Metro began the trial runs on the Yamuna Bank-Noida corridor on July 26 with the train running up to New Ashok Nagar station on the Delhi-UP border. The trial run from New Ashok Nagar to Noida Sector-60 is expected to begin soon.
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With the opening of the section, Line-III will comprise a total of 42 stations and its length will increase to 47.2 kms. There are 10 stations in the 13.1 km section, out of which four fall within Delhi while 6 stations fall in Noida.
Sreedharan also said that the Inderlok-Mundka Line will be inaugurated by the first week of January, Qutub Minar-Gurgaon line by March and Central Secretariat-Badarpur by August next year.
"We lost about five months in the Central Secretariat- Badarpur line due to the mishap in Zamrudpur and we are hopeful of making up some time by inaugurating it in August next year," he said, adding most of the works on these lines are completed and everything will as per schedule.
On the two derailments in the past two months, Sreedharan said both were cases of "serious human errors" and actions were taken against those responsible.
"The reports on these mishaps have come and after going through these reports, we have to serve on them major penalty charges and after which action will be taken. It will take two to three months," he said.
Sreedharan added Gammon India, contractor for the Central Secretariat-Badarpur line, has responded to its show cause notice asking why it should not be blacklisted for two years in the wake of July 12 Zamrudpur mishap.
"We have got the reply. It is in huge bundles and in legal terms. They are being examined by a top level committee and after this, necessary action will be taken. Since all our actions can be challenged in a court of law, we have to be very systematic and it takes a little time," he said.