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The Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) has made a renewed pitch for central funding to revive the long-stalled metro extension between Noida Electronic City and Sahibabad. The 5-km Blue Line link, expected to benefit over 500,000 daily commuters from Indirapuram, Vasundhara, and Vaishali, was initially estimated at INR 1,517 crore in 2018. That figure has now jumped to INR 1,873 crore due to price escalation and expanded land acquisition. Having failed to get state backing and NCR loans in previous attempts, the GDA is now eyeing a direct grant through the 16th Finance Commission to kickstart this critical urban mobility link.
The GDA has revived its metro plans and approached the Centre with a request for INR 2,441 crore, of which INR 1,873 crore is specifically earmarked for the 5.06 km Noida Electronic City to Sahibabad metro corridor. The remaining INR 568 crore would fund other city infrastructure development works. This corridor aims to bridge key mobility gaps for residents in Indirapuram, Vasundhara, Vaishali and nearby sectors, connecting them with Delhi Metro's Blue Line and the Namo Bharat RRTS corridor at Sahibabad. Advertisement
The proposed metro extension includes five elevated stations Vaibhav Khand, DPS Indirapuram, Shakti Khand, Vasundhara Sector 5 and Sahibabad. The route is expected to serve over half a million residents daily, many of whom currently rely on congested road networks or intermediate public transport.
Initially proposed in 2018, the Detailed Project Report (DPR) was submitted by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), estimating a cost of INR 1,517 crore. But over the years, construction delays, land price hikes, and inflation pushed the revised estimate up by over INR 350 crore. The land required totals around 26,691 sq m, including private land worth INR 223 crore.
In earlier phases, the GDA explored forming a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) with Noida and Greater Noida Authorities, and also attempted to secure funding through the NCR Planning Board. Despite an MoU with Noida Authority in 2020 and multiple revisions to the DPR, none of these funding models materialised due to lack of formal financial commitments. In fact, the state government eventually declined the proposal entirely, leaving the project in limbo.
However, the corridor was not forgotten. The DMRC had included it in its list of 16 new metro routes sent to the Centre for potential inclusion in the national metro expansion roadmap. This renewed focus has now prompted the GDA to approach the 16th Finance Commission for direct assistance.
Alternatives such as Metro Neo, Metrolite, and ropeways were also considered at various stages, but none matched the passenger capacity or integration potential of a full-scale metro. In the past, Vasundhara residents even staged protests demanding proper metro connectivity, highlighting public dissatisfaction with the slow pace of progress.
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