The Delhi Metro Pink Line: Everything you need to know

With an intention to connect all Delhi Metro networks with each other, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) planned the Pink Line corridor. The Pink Line is a part of the Delhi Metro Phase III, which is currently operational in two parts – Majlis Park to Mayur Vihar Pocket I and the Trilokpuri to Shiv Vihar corridor. The missing link between Mayur Vihar and Trilokpuri is expected to become operational before July 31, 2021, as per DMRC officials. Until now, the matter was sub-judice, due to land acquisition issues. Once operational, this will be the longest corridor of the Delhi Metro, forming a ring, with interchange facilities with all existing routes.

Delhi Metro Pink Line routes

The Pink Line is almost 59 kms long and connects Majlis Park in north-west Delhi to Shiv Vihar in north-east Delhi, making it the longest line in the Delhi Metro. It also has the smallest metro station in the country at Ashram and the highest point in the Delhi Metro at Dhaula Kuan.

The Pink Line has 26 elevated and 12 underground stations, with the highest point being at Dhaula Kuan at 23.6 metres – as high as a seven-storey building.

See also: Delhi Metro Red Line: Dilshad Garden-New Bus Adda section to boost connectivity to interior Ghaziabad

Delhi Metro Pink Line interchanges

The Pink Line offers connectivity to every other existing and upcoming line, with interchanges at 12 out of its 38 stations. The following are the stations with interchanges on the Pink Line:

• Netaji Subhash Place and Welcome – Red Line
• Azadpur and INA – Yellow Line
• Rajouri Garden, Mayur Vihar Phase-I, Anand Vihar and Karkarduma – Blue Line
• Punjabi Bagh West – Green Line
• Wazirabad Surghat and Lajpat Nagar – Violet Line
• Durgabai Deshmukh South Campus – Orange Line (Airport Line)
• Majlis Park and Azadpur – Magenta Line

A foot-overbridge (FOB) connecting the Durgabai Deshmukh South Campus Metro station of the Delhi Metro’s Pink Line and Dhaula Kuan Metro station of the Airport Express Line, was opened on February 9, 2019. The skywalk will make it much easier and quicker to reach Delhi Airport and the New Delhi Railway Station for residents of east, west and north Delhi.

Also read all about the DMRC metro rail network

Stations and interchanges on the Delhi Metro Pink Line

Delhi Metro Pink Line: Construction timeline

The Delhi Metro Pink Line was opened in four stages, from March to December 2018. The initial completion deadline of December 2016 could not be met, owing to land acquisition issues at certain stretches, after which the deadline was pushed to April 2018. The Pink Line was thereafter built in parts and finally completed in December 2018, with the inauguration of the Lajpat Nagar-Mayur Vihar Pocket I corridor.

The Pink Line was made operational in the following phases from March to December 2018:

• March 14, 2018: Majlis Park-Durgabai Deshmukh South Campus
• August 6, 2018: Durgabai Deshmukh South Campus-Lajpat Nagar
• October 31, 2018: Trilokpuri Sanjay Lake-Shiv Vihar
• December 31, 2018: Lajpat Nagar-Mayur Vihar Pocket I.

After the 17.8-km Shiv Vihar-Trilokpuri Sanjay Lake section of the Pink Line was opened to the public on October 31, 2018, Delhi entered a select group of global cities such as London and Shanghai that have an operational metro network of over 300 kms. After the inauguration of the latest corridor in December 2018, the Delhi Metro network has expanded to nearly 327 kms, with 236 stations.

The corridor of the Pink Line that opened on December 31, 2018, is 9.7 kms long and connects Lajpat Nagar to Mayur Vihar Pocket I, with five stations along the way – Vinoba Puri, Ashram, Hazrat Nizamuddin, Mayur Vihar Phase-I and Mayur Vihar Pocket I.

While the section between Trilokpuri to Mayur Vihar Pocket I have been constructed, the next phase will be operational by July-end. The DMRC has said that the civil work on the missing stretch is finished and the remaining work such as track laying and ancillary components is expected to be completed soon. The section was scheduled for inauguration in September 2020 but got delayed due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Now, the DMRC’s managing director, Mangu Singh, has said that the missing link will be operational in March 2021 and that trial runs on a 1.5-km stretch would start soon. The entire stretch where the work is currently underway, is 289 metres long and pillars to support the viaduct had come up in 2020. Once the viaduct is complete, the Pink Link will connect large parts of east Delhi with the south and west.

Delhi Metro Pink Line: Latest update

Delhi Metro Pink Line to operate as a single corridor

The incomplete link between the Trilokpuri and Mayur Vihar I of the Pink Line will be inaugurated on August 6, 2021. The route was earlier planned to be operationalised by July 31, 2021. However, it faced delays due to signalling work along the 1.5-kilometre stretch. Earlier, there were delays due to land acquisition and rehabilitation issues. The section will be inaugurated by the chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and union minister for housing and urban affairs, Hardeep Singh Puri, through video conferencing.

According to an earlier statement by the DMRC, the construction work between Trilokpuri and Mayur Vihar Phase I has been completed. The second phase of the work, which includes track laying and fitting other components, will also be finished soon. After the electrification work, trials runs are likely to begin and operations will commence after the safety approval is obtained. Also known as the ‘Ring Corridor’, the route will be the longest corridor on the Delhi Metro network. Earlier, the route was slated for completion in March 2021 but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the construction could not be finished.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Metro Pink Line’s expansion plan has received a boost, as the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the government of India have signed development loans worth Rs 16,186 crores, for the Delhi Metro Pink Line under Delhi Metro Phase IV and three other major metro projects. Around Rs 8,390 crores will be utilised for  Phase-IV development of the Delhi Metro, which will include expansion of the Magenta Line from Janakpuri West to RK Ashram (28.92 kms) with 25 stations, the Silver Line from Aerocity to Tughlakabad (23.6 kms) with 15 stations and the Pink Line from Mukundpur to Maujpur (12.58 kms) with eight stations.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation has said that the Pink Line will have driverless operations by mid-2021. The operations on the Magenta Line were recently made driverless.

Delhi metro invites tenders for commercial development at Trilokpuri-Sanjay lake metro station

The Delhi Metro authorities issued tenders for the lease of around 2,526 sq metres of area at the Trilokpuri-Sanjay Lake station for commercial development purposes, including retail, banks and office space. The property is situated on the first floor of the metro station, near Sanjay Lake. The successful bidder will be offered the space for a period of 15 years, as per a statement by the DMRC. Some residential group housing projects, under cooperative group housing society (CGHS), in the locality will also be leased for commercial development.

The National Buildings Construction Corporation (NBCC), a government-owned enterprise has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) for developing an integrated lake view complex along Sanjay Lake with an area of 27 acres. It is expected to boost the value of the property to be leased out at the metro station.

(With inputs from Surbhi Gupta)

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