Bridging the gaps at Anand Vihar

NEW DELHI: Getting in or out of Anand Vihar metro station, one of the busiest in the Delhi Metro network, is a big hassle for commuters. People have to enter through the Anand Vihar Inter-State Bus Terminus to access the metro station and then manoeuvre through speeding buses and a milling crowd of bus passengers to get there. However, accessing the metro station is soon going to be a much smoother affair. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) is going to construct a network of foot overbridges (FOB) in and around the Anand Vihar station, which would have a combined length of 360 metres.
When constructed, the FOB will provide seamless connectivity to both the metro stations of Blue and Pink Lines, the Anand Vihar railway station, Anand Vihar ISBT and the UPSRTC Terminus.

The FOB would start from across the Chaudhary Charan Singh Marg, where the UPSRTC bus terminus is located. It would take passengers directly to the concourse area of the metro station, without the hassle of getting down near the ISBT. The FOB would also take passengers from the metro station to the entry point of the railway station nearby.

DMRC’s plan to construct the FOB is part of a larger exercise of decongesting the Anand Vihar area, which is one of the most polluted locations in the capital. In April this year, lieutenant governor Anil Baijal asked DMRC to come up with a proposal to build a skywalk connecting the Anand Vihar metro station. Baijal has asked DMRC to create a skywalk if it’s feasible or to suggest alternate solutions for smoother movement for pedestrians after surveying the area.

By August this year, Anand Vihar metro station would become an interchange station with the opening of the Shiv Vihar-Trilokpuri section of the Pink Line. The upcoming FOB will connect both the Blue Line and Pink Line stations of Anand Vihar.

“An already constructed 40-metre FOB on Chaudhary Charan Singh Marg road (adjacent to the station) will be extended toward the Anand Vihar station and will be connected to the concourse of the metro station,” a DMRC spokesperson said. “A passage will be marked to provide a smooth transition,” he said.

The station for both Pink and Blue lines would be integrated, which means passengers wouldn’t have to change levels to interchange. The passengers can also enter the Pink Line station through the FOB and can reach Anand Vihar ISBT. “Two entry and exit points of the Pink Line station will cater to the ISBT,” he said.

The FOB is planned to be completed within six months from the date of issue of work order.

A 160-metre FOB is already available on the other end of the station to connect the metro station with the Anand Vihar railway station but the FOB ends on one side of the railway station. DMRC would now provide a separate ramp that would take passengers travelling on the FOB directly to the entry point of the railway station.