NOIDA: The NCR Transport Corporation has said a proposal to build a rapid rail corridor linking the Delhi and Noida airports via New Delhi railway station is economically unviable. It has instead suggested an alternative route via Ghaziabad RapidX station and Greater Noida West. The second route will have a combination of rapid rail and metro trains.The corporation, which had been asked by the Yamuna Expressway Authority to conduct a feasibility study of the route via NDLS and New Ashok Nagar, submitted its report recently. It pointed out that this route — moving parallel to the Noida expressway — was unlikely to attract significant ridership as the Blue and Aqua metro lines were in close proximity. Sources in the authority, however, said it was insisting on the NDLS-New Ashok Nagar route as it is easier to build.The NCRTC compared the projected footfall of the two routes in its report. The first route via NDLS is expected to have a ridership of around 1 lakh in 2031, 2.1 lakh in 2041 and 3.3 lakh in 2051. The other corridor, however, is projected to see a footfall of 3.7 lakh in 2031, 6.41 lakh in 2041 and 8.4 lakh in 2051.The final decision on the route is likely to be taken at a meeting chaired by the chief secretary after Diwali.Our main concern is to connect both the airports. The final decision on the corridor will be taken at a meeting of a high-level committee formed by the government, said Arun Vir Singh, the authority CEO.In terms of distance, both the routes are similar. While the one via New Ashok Nagar is 72.9km long, the other one is 72.3km.NCRTC said in its report, There is limited catchment area as on one side is the Yamuna river and on the other side is the Aqua Line and Blue Line. The average station spacing is 8km.… Only a three-car train has been proposed due to low traffic.A total of 11 stations has been proposed on this route — NDLS, New Ashok Nagar, Okhla Bird Sanctuary, Noida Sector 142, Knowledge Park 2, Tech Zone, YEIDA sectors 18, 20, 21, 29, and the Noida airport. While the section from New Ashok Nagar to Okhla Bird Sanctuary will run parallel to the Blue Line, the stretch to Noida Sector 142 is close to the Noida expressway. The remaining portion is parallel to the Aqua Line.This route will have 11 RapidX stations and around 30 metro stations.Earlier, the NCRTC had proposed three rapid routes to link the Delhi and Noida airports via Greater Noida West and Ghaziabad. The Yamuna Expressway Authority had, however, shortlisted the route via NDLS and New Ashok Nagar and asked NCRTC for a feasibility report.In its original plan, the authority had got a metro corridor proposed by DMRC, a proposal that was rejected by the chief secretary, who insisted on a RapidX route.

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