Over the years, the progress of this 6.6km extension has been impeded due to disagreements between the state government and the railway ministry concerning cost-sharing. V K Srivastava, Managing Director of KMRC told ToI, “With the state government unable to participate in cost-sharing, we have approached the railway ministry, seeking 100% funding for the project.”
The proposed extension, commencing from Sector V station, primarily follows an elevated route, traversing from VIP Road via Salt Lake’s Kestopur canal and running alongside VIP Road’s left flank. It reaches its terminus at Haldiram‘s, a mere 7km short of the integrated Metro terminal currently under construction at the airport. The extension incorporates four stations, with the one at Haldiram’s planned to be underground. The final 1.5km stretch leading to the airport will also be underground, adhering to the specifications of the Airports Authority of India (AAI), reported ToI.
“The project has already received in-principle approval from the railway ministry, but its progress has been hampered due to the ongoing cost-sharing dispute. Initially, the cost-sharing arrangement allocated 70% to the state government. Later, it was revised to a 50-50 ratio. Our current objective is to secure complete funding from the central government,” elucidated the KMRC MD. The detailed project report has been meticulously prepared and stands ready for action.
The concept of extending the Metro to Haldiram’s has been under consideration since 2016 when the state government initially proposed a 5km link connecting Central Park to the Haldiram’s outlet. However, due to technical constraints, the plan underwent revisions and emerged as a 6.5km extension originating from the Sector V station. This revised plan also includes a passenger interface at Haldiram’s, facilitating seamless transfers for commuters between the East-West Metro and the Airport-New Garia Metro link.
While the railways initially granted approval for the project back in 2017, bureaucratic delays had cast doubts on its feasibility. An engineer associated with the project expressed optimism about its northward extension, saying, “KMRC’s recent move has rekindled hopes for the corridor’s expansion.”
