Delhi Metro to cover entire capital in next 10 years: Sreedharan

12 Dec 2011

Delhi Metro would extend across the entire city over the next 10 years and the service would strive to keep the fares "minimal" to make the modern transport system "very popular" and "affordable" to all according to Delhi Metro chief E Sreedharan. 

He added Phase-III, work on which has already been taken up, would cover 103-km, while Phase-IV would bring another 104-km of the capital under the metro map and a Phase-V may have to be added given the expansion of the city. 

He also said Metro was the only viable and at the same time the cheapest mode of modern transport network that would reduce congestion in densely populated cities of the country. 

"Metro should cover the whole of the city. For this, Phase-III should be completed and then Phase-IV should also be completed. 2021 is our target (for connecting entire Delhi) that means another 10 years," he told PTI in an interview. 

Asked how much of Delhi would the Metro cover, he said, "More or less the entire city we would cover. The city is expanding and population is increasing." 

By the time the Phase-IV is completed in 2021, Sreedharan said, the Delhi Metro may have to redraw its plans as Phase-V would be required.