Noida Metro Aqua Line likely to open in January, fares finalised

The Aqua Line Metro corridor will be one of the first major public transport options for people residing in Noida and Greater Noida areas. (Photo: NMRC)


Senior officials of the Noida Metro Rail Corporation on Friday fixed the fare structure of Noida-Greater Noida corridor, Aqua Line, which is expected to become operational in January.

The minimum fare will be Rs 10 and the fare will be Rs 15 for travel extending beyond one station. Commuters travelling between three and six stations shall be charged Rs 20.

The fare slab for seven to nine stations is Rs 30 while those travelling up to 16 stations would be charged Rs 40. The maximum fare will be Rs 50 for passengers who commute more than 17 stations on Noida-Greater Noida corridor.

The fare structure was finalised in the presence of senior officials of the Union Ministry of Urban Development, Railway Board and NMRC following a board meeting.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to inaugurate the corridor in January. Senior officials of Uttar Pradesh government have been requested to fix a date for the inauguration of the project.

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation will operate the line for first one year and then the operations would be handed over to the Noida Metro Rail Corporation.

NMRC has also floated a tender for introducing e-rickshaws from all Metro stations of the corridor to ensure last mile connectivity for passengers. The Greater Noida Authority has made changes in a few bus routes and introduced new bus routes so that passengers can reach all metro stations without hurdle. Three new bus routes have been started in Greater Noida, Sector 51 and Noida City Centre, which will help passengers reach Metro stations.

The corridor, called Aqua Line, has a total of 21 stations. It has been built at a cost of Rs 5,503 crore. It has one terminus at Theta (Sector 70) in Greater Noida. The corridor passes through Delta 1, Alpha 1 and 2, Pari Chowk and Knowledge Park 2, and will also connect Noida’s Sectors 149, 144, 137, 81 and 50.

The Metro corridor will be one of the first major public transport options for people residing in Noida and Greater Noida areas.

The Aqua Line corridor, however, has not been linked with the Delhi Metro at any point, making seamless connectivity with the latter difficult. While the new line will make it easier for people to reach Noida from Greater Noida, commuters will have to change station and get new tokens or use another card for boarding the Delhi Metro.

Noida’s Sector 62 is a busy commercial area with a number of commercial establishments and offices. The opening of Aqua Line is expected to reduce travel time for people commuting between Delhi and Noida.