Union Cabinet clears 3 new metro stretches; network to cross 400 km

Three new corridors spanning 16 km will be added to the Delhi Metro network under the Phase-V(A) project at a total cost of over ₹12,000 crore, as the Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the expansion aimed at strengthening inter-city connectivity.

The expansion will include 13 new stations, 10 underground and three elevated, and is expected to be completed within three years. Once operational, the new corridors are estimated to reduce carbon emissions by nearly 33,000 tonnes annually. With this approval, the Delhi Metro network, which currently spans about 395 km, is set to cross the 400-km milestone.

The longest of the three corridors, costing ₹9,570 crore, will run for 9.9 km between R.K. Ashram Marg and Indraprastha. The other two corridors approved by the Cabinet are the 2.263-km Aerocity-Airport Terminal-1 stretch with an outlay of ₹1,419 crore, and the 3.9-km Tughlakabad-Kalindi Kunj corridor costing ₹1,024 crore.

Will reduce congestion

Reacting to the Cabinet decision, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the expansion would significantly improve urban mobility in the Capital. “Delhi’s infrastructure gets a major boost! Cabinet’s approval for three new corridors as part of Delhi Metro’s Phase-V(A) project will expand our Capital’s metro network, thus boosting ease of living and reducing congestion,” Mr. Modi said in a post on X.

Union Minister for Railways and Information & Broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw said the new phase would enhance connectivity within Delhi and across neighbouring cities. He noted that while the Metro currently has 12 lines, six projects are already under construction to extend existing corridors. “At present, Delhi Metro has 395 km, and with the addition of Phase-V(A), it will cross 400 km,” he said.

Highlighting commuter benefits, Mr. Vaishnaw said the Tughlakabad-Kalindi Kunj extension would provide direct Gurugram connectivity to commuters from Noida and Faridabad and save significant travel time. He said that improved connectivity to Kartavya Bhawan would benefit those commuting from across the NCR and help ease traffic congestion and pollution.

The Minister also said the R.K. Ashram corridor would link the Airport Express Line with Central Secretariat and further connect it to Indraprastha on the Blue Line. “The Airport Express Line will link Aerocity to Terminal-1,” he said. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation is currently implementing Phase IV, under which construction  is likely to expand the network by about 110 km.