According to officials, the Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) intends to build a significant interchange at Sahibabad that will link the current Rapid Rail Transport System (RRTS) corridor to the anticipated Metro expansion from Sector 62 to Sahibabad.

In order to reevaluate the metro route, GDA officials claimed they will shortly meet with representatives from the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC).

The proposed Noida Sector 62 to Sahibabad line requires a budget of $1,517 crore, while the proposed Vaishali to Mohan Nagar route calls for $1,808.22 crore, according to the detailed project reports (DPRs) that DMRC gave to GDA in January 2020.

GDA Secretary Brijesh Kumar said, “We will soon hold meetings with DMRC officials to reassess the feasibility of the Sector 62 to Sahibabad Metro extension (Blue Line). Sahibabad already has a RRTS station coming up, and our focus is to integrate the two systems for the benefit of residents. Following the meeting, the DMRC will be requested to prepare a revised project report that incorporates the interchange in Sahibabad.”

RapidX trains with a design speed of 180 kmph are used on the 82-kilometer-long RRTS corridor to connect the three cities of Delhi (three stops), Ghaziabad (eight stations), and Meerut (14 stations).

The priority segment in Ghaziabad, which spans 17 km and includes five stations in Sahibabad, Ghaziabad City, Guldhar, Duhai, and Duhai Depot, is almost finished and will be inaugurated soon.

While GDA is presently concentrating on integrating the RRTS Sahibabad stations with the Sector-62 to Sahibabad metro, the RRTS stations at Sarai Kale Khan, Anand Vihar, and Ghaziabad City have been proposed as interchange hubs with the Metro train services network.

The state government turned down state money for the two proposed metro extensions in Ghaziabad in January, and funding has since been a significant concern for GDA. State officials recently rejected 50% of the state government's sought allocation for the GDA during a meeting in May.

“The state officials have denied 50% of the share for the two extensions. Currently, our focus is on developing Sector-62 to Sahibabad to facilitate integration with the RRTS Sahibabad station,” Kumar further added. According to NCR Transport Corporation officials, who are responsible for the RRTS project's development, multi-modal integration has already been planned for at the Sahibabad station.

“We already have integration with UP Roadways bus station wth RRTS station at Sahibabad. We have already made provision at Sahibabad and it has been designed in such a manner that future integration with other modes like the metro can be made,” said Puneet Vats, chief PRO of NCRTC.

The 1,517 crore project cost for the Sector-62 to Sahibabad metro expansion was based on 2020 costs, according to officials, and it is anticipated to rise if the report is changed to reflect current prices.

The 82km project will carry 800,000 passengers daily, according to the RRTS project study. The entire 82km RRTS project is expected to be finished by March 2025, however the 17km priority portion in Ghaziabad has a completion date of June 2023.

Over the past 15 months, GDA has been looking into several ideas for connecting the two metro extensions due to a lack of funding. At this time, GDA authorities evaluated Metro Neo, a low-cost mass rapid transit system for Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, as well as a ropeway link and Metrolite, a light rail urban transport system for cities with lower ridership.

See also:
UP government denies GDA's request to fund Ghaziabad metro project
Ghaziabad okays TOD zones along RRTS corridor