Vikrant Shekhawat : Aug 06, 2021, 04:16 PM
New Delhi: Delhi Metro's Pink Line became the longest operational corridor on Friday after the Trilokpuri Sanjay Lake-Mayur Vihar Pocket 1 section of the line was inaugurated virtually by Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal. The Trilokpuri-Sanjay Lake to Mayur Vihar Pocket-1 section of Pink Line opened for commuters today and will save time and money for them.The Majlis Park-Shiv Vihar corridor or the Pink Line includes 38 stations. For the past 2.5 years, since its launch, the Pink Line had been operating as two separate corridors. With the inauguration of the link, the Delhi Metro now has a network of 390 kilometres comprising as many as 286 metro stations.The opening of the 289-metre Trilokpuri section fully links the entire 59 km-long Pink Line for the first time. It will also connect important landmarks of the city - the Anand Vihar Railway station, Anand Vihar ISBT, Nizamuddin Railway station, markets in South Extension, INA and Lajpat Nagar, officials said.The much-delayed completion of the Pink Line will also benefit residents of east Delhi and those travelling to that region. Its full connectivity will also save money for riders, as fares will be reduced by ₹ 30 for Trilokpuri to Mayur Vihar Pocket-1 section and vice versa, officials said."Reduction in fare by ₹ 20 will be in 38 sections (to and fro) and important key locations like Lajpat Nagar, NOIDA City Centre, Botanical Garden, Mohan Estate to Trilokpuri or vice versa; reduction in fare by ₹ 10 will be in 524 sections (to and fro)," the DMRC said.Meanwhile, speaking on the occasion Union minister Puri said that the DMRC has been a trailblazer in urban mobility. He added that the missing link at Trilokpuri section has been bridged with least possible disruptions."Currently 721 km of metro line is under operation in 18 Indian cities; 1,058-km network in 27 more is under construction," the minister said."Pre-Covid period ridership of DMRC was about 65 lakh per day, hope to reclaim it gradually while ensuring comfort and safety of people," he added.