Delhi Metro opens Barakhamba-Indraprastha section

NEW DELHI: The Delhi Metro on Saturday opened the Barakhamba Road-Indraprastha section, linking faraway Dwarka to the heart of the city, ahead of the India International Trade Fair that brings millions of people to Pragati Maidan.

The opening of the 2.81-kilometre section, which has three stations -- Mandi House, Pragati Maidan and Indraprastha -- marks the completion of Phase I, spanning 65.1 kilometres criss-crossing the city.

"It's a milestone," Chairman and Managing Director of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) E Sreedharan said after station manager of Indraprastha Pushpendra Kumar flagged off the train on Saturday.

"Whatever we have achieved is purely the result of team effort and completely indigenous effort. Of course we got some help from others," Sreedharan added.

The Barakhamba Road-Indraprastha section is part of Line 3, the longest stretch of the network with a length of 32 kms and having 31 underground and overground stations, between Dwarka sector nine and Indraprastha.

"With the completion of Phase I, the focus would now be on Shahdara-Dilshad Garden section of Phase II and we would try to finish it by the end of 2008," Sreedharan added.

"Seeing the success of the Delhi Metro, various state governments have approached us" and cities like Hyderabad, Bangalore, Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Chennai are planning to start metro rail networks, he said.