Now, commuting on Noida Metro Aqua Line to be more rapidly! The Noida Metro Rail Corporation (NMRC) has decided to introduce “fast trains” in a bid to decrease the travel time of Aqua Line commuters. These rapid trains will skip metro stations possessing low ridership through peak hours. NMRC Managing Director Ritu Maheshwari was quoted in a PTI report saying that the initiative will be implemented in February. Noida Metro Aqua Line trains beginning from terminal stations (Sector 51 and Depot metro stations) from 8:00 AM to 11:00 AM and from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM on weekdays i.e., Monday to Friday will be rapid trains, Maheshwari stated.
According to the NMRC Managing Director, of the total 21 metro stations on the Aqua Line, 10 metro stations will be skipped by these rapid train services through peak hours. The Noida Metro stations which will be skipped are Sector 50, Sector 81, Sector 83, Sector 101, Sector 143, Sector 144, Sector 145, Sector 146, Sector 147 as properly as Sector 148 metro stations, she additional stated. QR tickets will not be sold to commuters at these metro stations and for these stations through operating hours of these rapid trains, the MD added.
According to the NMRC chief, the Aqua Line’s typical run time from Sector 51 station to Depot station and vice versa (one way) is 45 minutes 43 seconds. Now, it will be lowered to 36 minutes 40 seconds, thereby saving about 9 minutes of travel time for the Aqua Line passengers. Also, the travel time among Sector 51 station highest ridership) and Pari Chowk station (second highest ridership), which is 37 minutes at present, will also develop into 28 minutes 30 seconds with the skipping of metro stations.
However, the train frequency will stay the very same i.e., 7.5 minutes through peak hours and 10 minutes in non-peak hours from Monday to Friday. On weekends i.e., on Saturdays and Sundays, the trains on Aqua Line will continue to run at a frequency of 15 minutes with no skipping of metro stations.
Meanwhile, NMRC is also producing sufficient efforts to produce awareness amongst the common public concerning the schedule of Noida Metro rapid trains and the metro stations that will be skipped. At all the metro stations of the Aqua Line, signages will be displayed indicating the timings of typical and rapid trains as properly as the list of stations that will be skipped. Besides, frequent announcements will also be produced in this regard inside the metro stations and the trains.