Grey Line: Delhi Metro's Najafgarh-Dhansa Bus Stand corridor opened for passengers

The Najafgarh-Dhansa Bus Stand extension of Grey Line of the Delhi Metro was on Saturday inaugurated, taking the mass rapid transit system further into the interior areas of Najafgarh.Passenger services on this section commenced at 5 pm, DMRC officials said.Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal jointly inaugurated the section via video-conference link, the DMRC said.The opening of the 1.2-km corridor took place after a delay of over one month, which had occurred due to approach road-related issues.

The Najafgarh-Dhansa Bus Stand extension of Grey Line of the Delhi Metro was on Saturday inaugurated, taking the mass rapid transit system further into the interior areas of Najafgarh.

Passenger services on this section commenced at 5 pm, DMRC officials said.

Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal jointly inaugurated the section via video-conference link, the DMRC said.

The opening of the 1.2-km corridor took place after a delay of over one month, which had occurred due to approach road-related issues. This extension of the over 4.2-km Grey Line (Dwarka-Najafgarh corridor) will immensely benefit the residents of the interior areas around Najafgarh, which is steeped in history. The Dwarka-Najafgarh corridor was opened in October 2019, which had connected the urban village area of Najafgarh to the rapid transit network for the first time.

The old Grey Line had three stations -- Dwarka (interchange with Blue Line), Nangli and Najafgarh. Puri in his address during the event said connections, such as the one to Dhansa, will play a vital role in reaching to rural areas also, adding that the gap between the rural and urban parts of Delhi is now being bridged with such connections, which are going deep into the outer and suburban areas of the national capital. With its opening, the DMRC span has now increased to nearly 392 km with 286 stations (including the Noida–Greater Noida Metro Corridor and Rapid Metro, Gurgaon).

The Delhi Metro is already one of the largest metro networks in the world. Once the Phase-IV project is completed, the DMRC will surpass even the London Tube, in terms of the network length, the chief minister's office said in a statement.

Kejriwal said this new corridor will benefit people from nearly 50 villages in the area, as also will ease journey to Delhi for commuters coming from Jhajjar, Haryana side, who travel for work.

In his address, he recalled how during an election campaign in February 2015 local people in the region would come forth and demand a station in the area. And, it was promised that ''we would get a metro station made in Dhansa''.

''It was one of the first things we did when we came into power. The Delhi government had put forth a proposal which the Centre approved, and we thank them for that,'' he said.

People will also get relief from traffic jam that occurs at Phirni Chowk, Kejriwal said.

Union Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Kaushal Kishore, Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot, West Dehi MP Parvesh Sahib Singh, South Delhi Mayor Mukesh Suryan, were also joined on the occassion, while Ambassador of Japan in India, Satoshi Suzuki, attended it via video link from the Embassy.

Gahlot took to Twitter to share his delight, saying, ''Congratulations Najafgarh! Today is very important to me for two reasons. First as Transport Minister of Delhi - Expanding the existing metro network in Delhi, and second as MLA of Najafgarh - a new metro station (Dhansa Bus Stand) is being added in the Najafgarh constituency.'' The nearly one kilometre-long Najafgarh-Dhansa Bus Stand section will take the metro further into the interior areas of Najafgarh.

This segment was earlier scheduled to be inaugurated on August 6, but it was postponed, two days before the slated date due to issues with an approach road to the station.

The Dhansa Bus Stand station has been adorned with attractive artworks and photographs, which display the rich heritage, culture, flora and fauna of this suburban locality of the national capital.

In a first for the DMRC network, the Delhi Metro has built an underground integrated parking facility at Dhansa Bus Stand station that will allow commuters to park their vehicles and move to the concourse area directly.

Secretary, Housing and Urban Affairs, Durga Shankar Mishra said this novel concept of undergoing parking facility, metros can explore. The Dhansa parking facility can accommodate nearly 300 vehicles, including 110 cars and 185 two-wheelers, he said.

It is the first ever underground metro station of the Delhi Metro network to have an entire underground floor dedicated for parking of vehicles. The facility will be integrated with the main station area where vehicle users will be able to park their cars and two-wheelers and then proceed to the concourse of the station directly using lifts and escalators, it said.

The station also has many green features, like rain water harvesting system, and adequate sump and pumping facility to improve existing storm water drainage system of nearby area, officials said.

Also, the station building has been given the 'platinum' rating by the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC).

The parking lot is equipped with facilities such as the entry and exit ramps, lifts, staircases, escalators. There would be provision for property development activities at the ground level in the future, the DMRC said in a statement.

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