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Delhi Metro Rail Corporation has issued a tender to buy 68 new metro coaches for the Rithala-Narela-Nathupur corridor, which is part of the Phase 4 expansion and will extend the existing Delhi Metro Red Line, according to officials' update on Tuesday.
Train Maintenance for 15 Years
According to the tender, the contract will include maintenance of the trains for 15 years. Initially, DMRC plans to run four-coach trains on this new stretch. However, if passenger numbers increase in the future, the trains can be expanded to eight coaches. Since this corridor is an extension of the Red Line, it will use broad-gauge tracks, similar to the existing line.
Current Red Line Services
At present, the Red Line runs from Shaheed Sthal in Uttar Pradesh to Rithala in Delhi with 29 stations. During peak hours, 33 trains with eight coaches each operate on this route.
Red Line Extended Services to Connect Uttar Pradesh & Haryana
The new extension will add 21 more stations over a distance of 26 kilometres. Out of these, 19 stations will be in Delhi, and two in Haryana. This will be the fourth time the Delhi Metro network expands into Haryana, after earlier extensions of the Yellow Line to Gurugram, the Violet Line to Faridabad, and the Green Line to Bahadurgarh. It will also become the first Delhi Metro corridor directly connecting Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.
Delhi Metro's New Red Line Project
In January, the Prime Minister laid the foundation stone for the project. However, construction work has not yet started. Officials said that pre-construction activities, including tendering and ground surveys, are currently underway.
DMRC plans to get the new coaches by mid-2029, before the corridor becomes operational. The trains will use modern global technology, including Communication-Based Train Control (CBTC) signalling. Earlier, this extension was planned as a Metrolite system, which is a lighter and smaller metro option for areas with lower population density.
