The Aqua line of the Noida Metro rail network connecting the twin cities of Noida and Greater Noida in the Gautam Buddh Nagar district of western Uttar Pradesh was opened to the public in January 2019. But today, the Noida-Greater Noida Metro has crossed a milestone by achieving a daily ridership figure of 50,000 for the first time. The landmark figure of 50,231 was recorded on Monday (October 17), by the Noida Metro Rail Corporation (NMRC). The previous single-day highest ridership figure was logged on October 14 (48,852) and September 26 (48,396), the NMRC said in a statement. NMRC touched the cumulative ridership figure of 2 crores and 12 lakhs in just three years and eight months.
"The NMRC has touched the cumulative ridership figure of 2 crores and 12 lakhs in just three years and eight months which makes it a proud moment for everyone associated with Noida Metro," NMRC Managing Director Ritu Maheshwari said.
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"This is despite the fact that Metro operations were suspended during 2020-2021 for almost 227 days due to COVID-19 restrictions," Maheshwari added. The senior IAS officer credited the "high-performance standards", punctuality, and reliability of the NMRC for increased footfall on the Aqua Line.
"There has been a reduction in travel time through the introduction of fast train service and rationalisation of the timetable. Also, a reduction of travel time from 46 minutes to 43 minutes for normal trains with an average speed of 39 km/hour and 40 minutes for fast trains with an average speed of 42 km/hour," Maheshwari noted.
"The NMRC has provided safe, reliable, and quality services to customers with a customer-friendly approach," she added.
However, for local residents, one of the major shortcomings of the line has been its lack of seamless connectivity with the Blue Line of the Delhi Metro. The distance between Aqua Line's Sector 52 station and Blue Line's Sector 51 station is barely 300 meters but passengers are required to exit one system before boarding the other, going through a lot of hassles like security checks and a separate ticketing system.
In the statement, Maheshwari said the NMRC had provided last-mile connectivity with a pathway connecting the Blue Line and the Aqua Line with a free e-rickshaw service.
The Aqua Line runs over 29.7 km through 21 stations between Noida Sector 51 and Depot Station in Greater Noida. It was built for Rs 5,503 crore, according to officials.
(With inputs from PTI)
