Source: Times of India
Officials of North Central Railway have suggested that the proposed tracks be linked with the airport’s ground transportation centre through an underground channel. The new line will have junctions at Chola – where it will merge with the Delhi-Howrah line – and Rundhi – where it will extend to the Delhi-Chennai/Mumbai route.
This way, trains from the airport can move in different directions.
The railways is likely to submit the detailed project report once the airport concessionaire, Yamuna International Airport Ltd (YIAPL), is ready with its design for other connectivity modes such as rapid rail.
Arun Vir Singh, the CEO of Noida International Airport Ltd, said, “The railways sought details about the coordinates of the proposed rapid rail line connecting the airport with Ghaziabad station. They also wanted to know about the tracks that are being planned inside the airport GTC, a hub of various transportation modes under one roof. Once YIAPL submits its report, the railways will file its DPR. Once that is done, the process to construct the railway tracks will be initiated.”
According to Singh, the tracks were being planned in a way that will have minimal impact on existing structures and human settlements.
Although the main tracks between Chola and Rundhi stations will be 61km long, the total length of the route will be almost 99km, including additional connectivity tracks. It will cost around Rs 2,400 crore and will require three years to complete. The route will include stations at Rundhi, Chandhat, Jewar Khadar, Airport, Jahangirpur, Bighapur and Chola. It will cater to a population of more than 1.2 lakh initially.
Five railway flyovers (two on the Chennai-Delhi line and three on the Howrah route) will be built to allow seamless connection to the existing network passing through UP and Haryana. It will include 45 minor road crossings and a significant bridge spanning the Yamuna.
The proposed alignment, officials said, is designed to avoid built-up areas, minimise land acquisition difficulties, and avoid interfering with the Eastern Peripheral Expressway.
The airport station will be integrated with the terminal building for the easy transfer of passengers. The alignment will also facilitate connectivity with various key locations, including the multimodal transport hub near Dadri.
Trains from Agra, New Delhi via Faridabad and Ghaziabad are likely to run on the route. Officials said fast trains like Vande Bharat can be planned from stations like New Delhi, Agra, Kanpur, and Lucknow. Notably, UP govt’s proposal to connect the Noida airport with existing lines at Palwal and Chola stations was approved by the railways last year. The eastern freight corridor, stretching from Kolkata to Amritsar, passes through the eastern side of the airport, with Chola railway station being the nearest point along this corridor. On the western, Palwal serves as the closest point on the Delhi-Mumbai line.
