The Expansion

As you are likely aware by now, Magenta Line is extending from Janakpuri West/Krishna Park Extension in the South West to Connaught Place, via Rohini, North West Delhi and Ashok Vihar. This expansion adds 22 stations and 29.22km of track to Delhi Metro’s Phase 4. If you were not aware of this, maybe this is a sign that you need to follow my blog TrackPoint India more regularly 😛. The Deepali Chowk to Majlis Park section is the first section of that expansion to be opened, on 8th March 2026 (on International Women’s Day!).

The Stations

The seven stations are:

• Deepali Chowk

• Madhuban Chowk - Earlier known as Pitampura station, this station is an interchange with the Red Line, and was part of the Phase 1 expansion all the way back in 2004!

• Uttari Pitampura-Prashant Vihar - Earlier known as just Prashant Vihar

• Haiderpur Village - Earlier known as North Pitampura

• Haiderpur Badli Mor - Interchange with the northern part of the Yellow Line

• Bhalaswa

• Majlis Park - Interchange with the Pink Line, especially now that the Pink Line has been extended from Majlis Park to cover the northern part of Delhi, becoming a full loop. Also, the Magenta Line finally interchanges with the Pink Line, a two lines which run almost parallelly in South Delhi and west Delhi, only 3-5 kilometers apart.

Supercharged Connectivity for Pitampura and Rohini

The Magenta Line now runs along the road that divides Pitampura and Rohini. While earlier, the metro access points for the residents of Pitampura and Rohini were Rithala, Rohini West, Rohini East, Pitampura and Kohat Enclave on the Red Line, Samaypur Badli and Haiderpur Badli on the Yellow Line, and a rickshaw to Peeragarhi on the Green Line, the Magenta Line provides 5 new stations (Deepali Chowk, Madhuban Chowk, Prashant Vihar, Haiderpur Village and Haiderpur Badli) to boost last mile connectivity inside the Rohini and Pitampura regions.

Also, earlier, inter-Rohini travel was not realistic on the Delhi Metro. It was more realistic on ground via road transport. Now, Rohini finally has its own network, with the Yellow Line, Magenta Line, and the Red Line, with the Green Line and the Pink Lines close by. This small stretch of the Magenta Line has boosted the network of network effects of the Delhi Metro, especially in the North West and Rohini portions of Delhi. This is especially useful as the Red Line will expand deeper into Rohini, to finally connect with Narela in the north.

What about the rest of the line?

Based on construction patterns, I would guess that the rest of the Magenta Line would be open for our use by the end of this year, 2026.

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Early 2026: Pink Line Becomes a Complete Loop

Commercial Operations Begin (Pink Line: Majlis Park to Maujpur).

The final “missing link” of the Pink Line (Line 7) is set to open. This section will physically connect the two ends of the line, making the Pink Line India’s first-ever “Ring Metro.”

• Stations: Burari, Jharoda Majra, Jagatpur Village, Soorghat, Sonia Vihar, Khajuri Khas, Bhajanpura, Yamuna Vihar.

• Section Track Length: 12.55km

• Section Station Count: 8

• New Interchanges (1):

  • Maujpur-Babarpur: Pink Loop ←→ Pink Spur (Junction created)

Mid 2026: Magenta Line loops from Janakpuri to Connaught Place via Pitampura and Ashok Vihar

Commercial Operations Begin (Magenta Line: Krishna Park Extn to R.K. Ashram Marg).

Following the small section opened in 2025, the massive remainder of the Magenta Line extension will open. This curves through North Delhi to connect West Delhi with Central Delhi, acting as a new arterial route.

• Stations: Keshopur, Paschim Vihar, Peeragarhi, Mangolpuri, West Enclave, Pushpanjali, Deepali Chowk, Pitampura, Prashant Vihar, North Pitampura, Haiderpur Badli Mor, Bhalaswa, Majlis Park, Azadpur, Ashok Vihar, Derawal Nagar, Ghanta Ghar, Pul Bangash, Sadar Bazar, Nabi Karim, R.K. Ashram Marg.

• Section Track Length: 26.42km

• Section Station Count: 21

• New Interchanges (8):

  • Peeragarhi: Magenta ←→ Green Line

  • Pitampura: Magenta ←→ Red Line

  • Haiderpur Badli Mor: Magenta ←→ Yellow Line

  • Majlis Park: Magenta ←→ Pink Line

  • Azadpur: Magenta ←→ Yellow Line ←→ Pink Line (Triple Interchange)

  • Pul Bangash: Magenta ←→ Red Line

  • R.K. Ashram Marg: Magenta ←→ Blue Line

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Mid 2026: Delhi Meerut RRTS completes the Delhi Section

Commercial Operations Begin (RRTS: New Ashok Nagar to Jangpura).

The RRTS (Namo Bharat) will reach its final Delhi terminus. This critical underground section extends the line to Sarai Kale Khan and the stabling yard at Jangpura.

• Stations: Sarai Kale Khan, Jangpura.

• Section Track Length: 5.00km

• Section Station Count: 2

• New Interchanges (1):

  • Sarai Kale Khan: Delhi Meerut RRTS ←→ Pink Line

Late 2026: Delhi Meerut RRTS completes the Meerut Section

Commercial Operations Begin (RRTS: Meerut South to Modipuram).

The Regional Rail corridor will extend to its final northern terminus, completing the 82 km project. This backbone allows high-speed travel from Delhi to the end of Meerut.

• Stations (RRTS Stops): Shatabdi Nagar, Begumpul, Modipuram.

• Section Track Length: 23.60km

• Section Station Count: 3

• New Interchanges: 0 (Interchanges counted with Meerut Metro below).

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Late 2026: Meerut gets its own Metro Line

Commercial Operations Begin (Meerut Metro).

A historic launch. The Meerut Metro—a distinct local transit system running on the same infrastructure as the RRTS—will begin operations. It will serve local commuters with 13 stations within Meerut city.

• Stations: Meerut South, Partapur, Rithani, Shatabdi Nagar, Brahmpuri, Meerut Central, Bhaisali, Begumpul, MES Colony, Daurli, Meerut North, Modipuram Depot, Modipuram.

• Section Track Length: 23.60km (Operational length of new service).

• Section Station Count: 13

• New Interchanges (4):

  • Meerut South: Meerut Metro ←→ RRTS

  • Shatabdi Nagar: Meerut Metro ←→ RRTS

  • Begumpul: Meerut Metro ←→ RRTS

  • Modipuram: Meerut Metro ←→ RRTS

    Subscribe to receive the post on Meerut Metro Lines 1,2 and 3 as soon as I publish them!

Late 2026: Aerocity to Tughlakhabad Golden Line begins

Commercial Operations Begin (Golden Line: Delhi Aerocity to Tughlakabad).

The debut of the Golden Line (Line 10). This largely underground corridor runs through South Delhi, improving the connectivity to the Airport.

• Stations: Delhi Aerocity, Mahipalpur, Vasant Kunj, Kishangarh, Chhatarpur, Chhatarpur Mandir, IGNOU, Neb Sarai, Saket G-Block, Ambedkar Nagar, Khanpur, Sangam Vihar, Maa Anandmayee Marg, Tughlakabad Railway Colony, Tughlakabad.

• Section Track Length: 23.62km

• Section Station Count: 15

• New Interchanges (3):

  • Delhi Aerocity: Golden ←→Airport Express

  • Chhatarpur: Golden ←→ Yellow Line

  • Tughlakabad: Golden ←→Violet Line

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2026 Year in Review (Projected)

• Total Track Added: 114.79km

• Total Stations Added: 62

• Total Interchanges Added: 17

• Network Status: The Unified Network undergoes a massive expansion, crossing the 580 km mark. The separation of RRTS and Meerut Metro services adds significant operational depth to the NCR’s transit capability.

Final Projected Stats for the Entire History (2002–2026)

• Total Unified Network Length: 587.93km

• Total Stations: 361

• Total Interchanges: 49

Of course, this is tentative, and any of these projects could be delayed for various reasons.

Wait, Extension from Inderlok??

Yes, exactly. Your initial instinct is completely accurate, assuming it is the one it is. The Green Line ends parallel to the Red Line at Inderlok, making any future expansion from Inderlok impossible right?

Well, good news for you, I have written up a post on this exact topic earlier, that you would find really interesting to read!

The New Stations

Now that you are caught up on how the extension from Inderlok will be made (if you haven’t, go take a look!); let us take a look at what these new stations are going to be, starting from the Inderlok side:

• Daya Basti - located ~500 meters from Shatri Nagar metro station on the Red Line

• Sarai Rohilla - serves the Sarai Rohilla area and the railway station

• Ajmal Khan Park - serves the Karol Bagh and Jhandewalan area

• Nabi Karim - interchange station with the newest extension of the Magenta Line. A massive car parking is being built at this station, which is actually very good for last mile connectivity and taking cars off the street. Serves the Paharganj area

• New Delhi - triple interchange station, with the Yellow Line and the Airport Express Line. Also serves the NDLS Railway Station

• LNJP Hospital

• Delhi Gate - interchange station with the Violet Line. It serves the Daryaganj area.

• Delhi Secretariat/Sachivalya

• Indraprastha - interchange station with the Blue Line

Wait… Don’t the Red Lines and Blue Lines already cover these areas?

Yes. Indeed. In terms of providing connectivity to new areas, this extension of the Green Line is completely redundant. However, 400+ kilometers into the network, such a redundancy is, in fact, not a flaw, but a feature. I will do a complete deep dive into the redundancy of the Green Line’s Inderlok-Indraprastha, and why it is actually useful, in its own dedicated part.

Easier Airport Access

With a direct interchange with the Airport Express line at New Delhi, this will boost Bahadurgarh, West Delhi and even North and Central Delhi’s connectivity to the airport (Terminal 3).

This comes as an added benefit on top of the connectivity increase with Peeragarhi becoming an interchange with the Magenta Line, which is directly connected to Terminal 1.

Bahadurgarh connectivity with Central Delhi

Now Bahadurgarh residents have a direct one-seat ride from Bahadurgarh all the way to Central and Old Delhi. Cannot stress this enough how important this is for the integration of Bahadurgarh with the urban fabric of Delhi.

Boosted connectivity INSIDE Central and Old Delhi

With the Red, Yellow, Blue, Violet and Airport Express already in Central Delhi, and Magenta Line and Green Line joining in the mix in Phase 4; Central and Old Delhi will have 7 metro lines serving as the arteries of that monumental part of the city!

Railway Station connection

This extension directly connected the Sarai Rohilla train station with the New Delhi Railway Station (NDLS). While trains are obviously supposed to run between the two stations, a person may have their train terminate at Sarai Rohilla, and need to transfer to another train at NDLS. A non-reservation, guaranteed frequent metro service between the two railway stations makes such transfer much much easier, especially considering how crowded the area between them is.

Earlier it was a Separate Line, right?

Yes, indeed. In the earlier planning, the Inderlok-Indraprastha corridor was supposed to be a separate corridor, due to the massive design flaw at Inderlok. It was called the Indigo Line, before they decided to make it an extension of the Green Line itself.

It seems that DMRC decided that the benefit of making the Inderlok-Indraprastha extension a part of the Green Line, instead of a new line, was higher than the cost of fixing the flaw at Inderlok.

So when will it open?

The construction work on the Inderlok-Indraprastha corridor has not begun yet. Construction tenders were floated in 2025, and a construction date of 2029 has been estimated. I cannot make further guesses with the information available at the moment, so let’s go with the opening date of 2029.

Future Expansions of Green Line

Oh boy, strap in.

After the extension of the Green Line from Inderlok to Indraprastha in Phase 4, there are two further planned extensions in the Delhi side for Phase 5.

• Indraprastha to RK Ashram Marg, via India Gate and Central Vista

• Branch from Central Vista (on the Indraprastha-RK Ashram Marg extension) to Vasant Kunj, via Moti Bagh, Bhikaji Cama Place, Munirka and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU)

On the Haryana side, there is one planned extension as part of Phase 5

• Bahadurgarh to Asaudha

• Eventual extension from Asaudha all the way to Rohtak is also planned, likely as part of Phase 6 or further

What are the other expansions of Phase 4?

As part of Phase 4, these are the extensions of existing lines:

• Pink Line loop completion, connecting Majlis Park to Maujpur Babarpur in North Delhi

• Magenta Line extension from Janakpuri West to Connaught Place (RK Ashram Marg) via North Delhi

• Red Line expansion northwestwards, covering Rohini-Bawana-Sanoth-Narela-Kundli-Nathupur-Sonipat

And the following are new lines in Phase 4:

• Golden Line from Aerocity to Tughlakhabad, via Chattarpur and Saket

• Golden Line Branch, from Aerocity to Lajpat Nagar, via Chattarpur, Saket and Greater Kailash

Also, these are non DMRC corridors that coincide with Phase 4:

• Delhi-Meerut RRTS, from Jangpura to Meerut via Ghaziabad, Modipuram

• Gurgaon city “Loop”

• Noida Expressway Line from Sector 142 to Botanical Garden

  I plan to cover all of these extensions, and all the future Phase 5 extensions as well. Subscribe to be notified as soon as they are published!

Disclaimer

Although the information included in this article is accurate to the best of my knowledge as of 14th November 2025, information about this topic is evolving constantly, and may change over time. If so, please leave a comment down below and I will take a look at it.

The Stations

The Golden Line will have 15 stations at first:

• Delhi Aerocity - Considered to be the most strategic interchanges of the Golden Line, and major part of the push behind this line, the Golden Line will interchange here with the Airport Express. Aerocity is being pushed as one of the next major hubs, and the Delhi-Alwar RRTS will also interchange at Aerocity. Further, there are plans to build an ISBT at Aerocity.

• Mahipalpur

• Vasant Kunj - I am surprised Vasant Kunj did not already have metro connectivity. This area has the Ambience Mall (Vasant Kunj one, not Gurgaon one) and other high end malls, and right now is weakly connected via Vasant Vihar on the Magenta Line and Aerocity on the Airport Express

• Kishanganj

• Chattarpur - This station will be an interchange with the Yellow Line, and the closest interchange on the Yellow Line to Gurgaon

• Chattarpur Mandir

• IGNOU

• Neb Sarai

• Saket G Block - This station will be where the branch line will split off. More on that later.

• Ambedkar Nagar

• Khanpur

• Sangam Vihar - Tigri

• Anandmayee Marg

• Tughlakhabad Railway Colony

• Tughlakhabad Station - This station will be an interchange with the Violet Line, and the closest interchange on the Violet Line to Faridabad

Wait, I heard it will connect T1 of IGI?

You have heard right, but it is slightly complicated. In the initial plans, it was supposed to end at Aerocity itself. However, after planners analyzed the lack of connectivity between the T1 and T3 metro stations, they decided to extend the Golden Line from Aerocity to T1.

However, when they began construction, construction between Aerocity and T1 will have to be under the Terminal 1 runways; which you can imagine is an extremely expensive and time consuming process, not to mention the permits required for that. Therefore, they decided to push the 2.2km connection between Aerocity and T1 metro stations to Phase 5A.

How Does It Help Me With The Airport

One of the major benefits of this metro line is that it connects directly to the Aerocity metro station. Connectivity of the Delhi Metro Network with the Airport Express is limited, and this improves the connectivity, especially for South Delhi, Gurgaon, Faridabad and Noida residents.

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Branch Line??

Yes, the Golden Line will branch off at Saket G Block, and will connect Saket G Block to Lajpat Nagar (an interchange between the Pink and the Magenta Lines). More on that in its own part.

Naming

Delhi Metro’s Golden Line was initially named the Silver Line. In 2023 it was renamed to the Gold Line, and was named the Golden Line in 2024.

Greenfield connectivity AND network connectivity

The Golden Line serves both purposes:

• Introduces metro connectivity to underserved areas south of South Delhi.

• Improves the network structure of the Delhi Metro in South Delhi, by connecting the Violet, Yellow and the Airport Express Lines.

When will it open?

Again, the most important question of them all. According to the current reports, the Golden Line will be open some time in mid 2026, likely June 2026.

Looking at the current progress, and accounting for potential delays, it is almost a guarantee that you will be able to ride on the Golden Line before the end of 2026.

Technical Details

Delhi Metro’s Golden Line will have 6 coach trains, and run on Standard Gauge (1435mm) tracks. Much like the Magenta Line, the Golden Line’s trains will also be driverless.

Future Expansions

A lot of expansions are planned out for this Golden Line:

• There is obviously the Branch Line from Saket G Block to Lajpat Nagar as part of Phase 4

• Golden Line will be extended from Delhi Aerocity to Terminal 1 as part of Phase 5A

• Golden Line will also be extended from Tughlakhabad Station to interchange with the Magenta Line at Kalindi Kunj as part of Phase 5B

Other Phase 4 Expansions

As for Delhi Metro Phase 4, these are the other planned extensions:

• Pink Line loop completion, connecting Majlis Park to Maujpur Babarpur in North Delhi

• Magenta Line extension from Janakpuri West to Connaught Place (RK Ashram Marg) via North Delhi

• Green Line extension from Inderlok to Indraprastha via New Delhi Railway Station. You can read about how the existing Inderlok station is being retrofitted to accommodate this expansion on this line.

• Red Line expansion northwestwards, covering Rohini-Bawana-Sanoth-Narela-Kundli-Nathupur-Sonipat

Disclaimer

Although the information included in this article is accurate to the best of my knowledge as of 14th November 2025, information about this topic is evolving constantly, and may change over time. If so, please leave a comment down below and I will take a look at it.

Welcome back to Track Point: Delhi Metro Phase 4, where today we will be looking at Magenta Line’s addition of 22 stations and 29.22km of track as part of Phase 4, where much like the Pink Line, the expansion optimizes connectivity heavily in the Northern part of Delhi. The expansion starts from Janakpuri West, to Ramakrishnan Ashram Marg in Connaught Place. A lot of people have seen the construction for this line, but most have no idea that it is the Magenta Line, the same one at Botanical Garden! So let us look at all the details about it!

The 22 New Stations

• Krishna Park Extension - this station has actually been operational officially since 5th January 2025, and unofficially since July 2024. More on that in a bit!

• Keshopur

• Paschim Vihar - this will be the fifth station in the Paschim Vihar area!

• Peeragarhi - this will provide an interchange with the Green Line, crucial for Bahadurgarh residents. As you are aware, the Green Line has only one non-termini interchange (with the Pink Line), and thus this will provide the second such interchange. This time the interchange will be up and running from the get go!

• Mangolpuri - located in Rohini Sector 2

• West Enclave - this and the following stretch covers Pitampura and East Rohini

• Pushpanjali

• Deepali Chowk

• Pitampura - interchange here with the Red Line! This station was opened in 2004 as part of Phase 1!

• Prashant Vihar

• North Pitampura - Sixth and last station inside Pitampura

• Haiderpur Badli Mor - Interchange here with the northern part of the Yellow line

• Bhalaswa - located next to Bhalaswa Lake, which is an Oxbow Lake left behind by the Yamuna. DDA is starting efforts to conserve this lake.

• Majlis Park - Interchange here with the Pink Line! This is the first interchange between the Magenta and the Pink Line, despite running almost parallely in South Delhi, merely 3km apart at points. Majlis Park also used to be the Western terminus of Pink Line, before its expansion in Phase 4 (which you can read about at this link!)

• Azadpur - A triple interchange with Yellow Line and Pink Line, and Magenta Line’s second interchange with either of these lines in Northwest Delhi. Triple interchanges are especially useful to develop a commercial hub in and around the metro station. Further, having multiple interchanges between two lines in the same area helps with reducing congestion. From a Urban Planning and Network Planning perspective, this seems really well planned.

• Ashok Vihar - While this area is decently connected by three lines: the Red, Yellow and Pink; this station further improves the connectivity of this residential area.

• Derawal Nagar - Further improves connectivity of Model Town, already connected by Yellow Line

• Ghanta Ghar - Located next to the iconic Ghanta Ghar of Kamla Nagar. This station is closer to the colleges of DU North Campus (Ramjas, Hansraj, St. Stephen’s, etc), and will likely become an alternative, probably preferred, entrypoint for DU North Campus students, from Vishwavidhalaya on the Yellow Line.

• Pulbangash - This will be an interchange with the Red Line, and this station was opened back in 2003! Reading up about how the line that connects Noida to South Delhi will interchange with Red Line at Pulbangash was surreal to me too!

• Sadar Bazar - Sadar Bazar is the largest wholesale market of Asia, and is extremely crowded, and thus a perfect place to build a metro station

• Nabi Karim - Nabi Karim will be an interchange station with the Green Line once the Inderlok-Indraprastha stretch is completed

• Ramakrishna Ashram Marg - RK Ashram Marg will serve as the new terminus for the Magenta Line, and will serve as an interchange with the Blue Line, much like its other terminus (Botanical Garden) and current other terminus (Janakpuri West). RK Ashram Marg metro station is located in the outskirts of Connaught Place, and is a mere 1km walk from the inner circle. Much like Barakhamba Road, Janpath, Shivaji Stadium and Patel Chowk, this station provides direct metro connectivity to outskirts of Connaught Place. Further, this station will be a triple interchange between the Blue, Magenta and Green Lines, once the Indraprastha-RK Ashram Marg section is constructed in Phase 5.

Why RK Ashram Marg and not Rajiv Chowk?

This is a question I’ve spent quite some time pondering. Why stop one kilometer short, and not just connect to Rajiv Chowk?

The problem seems to be that Rajiv Chowk is simply too congested. It is alternatively the busiest station (alongside Kashmere Gate) of Delhi Metro, and DMRC is actively trying to optimize the metro network to decongest Rajiv Chowk, and adding Magenta Line would congest it further a great deal.

Further, Connaught Place is hard to construct under, as it has the Blue Line tunnels, Yellow Line tunnels, and even the Airport Express tunnels (yes Airport Express runs right under Rajiv Chowk!). Further it has various tunnels to cross roads. Therefore, it might be just too expensive to construct under Connaught Place and Rajiv Chowk, and such a construction might have restricted further expansions in Phase 5/6 and beyond.

Further, the impact of this is not too large on the commuters. To someone travelling on the Blue Line, it makes absolutely no difference whether to interchange on RK Ashram Marg or Rajiv Chowk. To someone visiting Connaught Place, walking to RK Ashram Marg is not too hard, the roads are well paved with great footpaths. The only downside here is that Magenta Line loses out on direct connectivity with Yellow Line in the city center - this is something that can be fixed down the line by extending the Magenta Line southwards to say Patel Chowk or even Central Secretariat.

I am curious to know whether you agree or disagree with my analysis.

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What about the Krishna Park Extension Stretch?

The Krishna Park Extension stretch has been open since January 2025. As there are no reversal facilities at that station, the train heading from Botanical Garden still terminates at Janakpuri West, and a separate train runs between Janakpuri West and Krishna Park Extension. This brings connectivity to the residents of Krishna Park Extension without needing to wait for the whole line to be constructed. Once the rest of the line is constructed, there will be no need to get off at Janakpuri West.

Network Optimization instead of Greenfield Access

As you can see from the list of stations, this extension does not bring metro connectivity to completely new areas, but enhances metro access and connectivity, and improves the “network of network” effect, especially in North Delhi. This phase is absolutely crucial in any metro network, and indicates that the Delhi Metro as a system is in the mature stage.

North Delhi

As you must have noticed by now, both the Pink Line and Magenta Line’s expansion in Phase 4 is in North Delhi. And you have guessed absolutely right, the Phase 4 expansions focus heavily on improving network connectivity inside North Delhi, much like how Phase 2-3 did for South Delhi. The Red Line and Green Line expansions will further improve connectivity for North Delhi.

So When Will It Open?

This is the most important question of all. The authorities have stated an opening date of June 2026, with the Deepali Chowk-Majlis Park stretch (disconnected for the time being from the rest of the line) being opened earlier.

Looking at the state of construction, it does seem very likely that the stations will definitely be opened before the end of 2026.

What are the other expansions?

As for Delhi Metro Phase 4, these are the other planned extensions:

• Pink Line loop completion, connecting Majlis Park to Maujpur Babarpur

• Green Line extension from Inderlok to Indraprastha via New Delhi Railway Station. You can read about how the existing Inderlok station is being retrofitted to accommodate this expansion on this link.

• Red Line expansion northwestwards, covering Rohini-Bawana-Sanoth-Narela-Kundli-Nathupur-Sonipat

And the following new lines:

• Golden Line from Aerocity to Tughlakabad, via Chhattarpur and Saket

• Golden Line Branch, from Aerocity to Lajpat Nagar, via Chhattarpur, Saket and Greater Kailash

As for Magenta Line, there seem to be no plans for expansion as part of Phase 5, but we can definitely speculate on the impacts of potential expansion, such as:

• If the Magenta Line was extended from Botanical Garden to Noida Sector 137/142 (instead of a new NMRC line)

• If the Magenta Line is extended from RK Ashram Marg southwards to Shivaji Stadium

In the next part, we will discuss the new Golden Line. Until then, stay tuned, and binge yourself on some of my other parts!

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Welcome back to TrackPoint: Delhi Metro Unraveled, and in this blogpost we will see how the Pink Line will be extended in North Delhi to complete the missing gap, and become the first ever citywide loop metro in India.

Also, if you are new to this series, I write about the past, present and future of the Delhi Metro. If that is something that interests you, check out the rest of my series at this link! It’s called TrackPoint: Delhi Metro Unraveled by the way!

The 8 New Stations

Starting from Majlis Park, these are the stations being added:

• Burari (yes, that one) — opening today

• Jharoda Majra — opening today

• Jagatpur Village — opening today

• Soorghat — this will be extremely close to Majnu-ka-tila

• Sonia Vihar

• Khajuri Khas

• Bhajanpura

• Yamuna Vihar

Finally connecting to Maujpur-Badarpur (NOT Shiv Vihar, more on that in a bit).

These areas are currently underserved by the Delhi Metro, and the people living in these areas often take road based transportation to reach their closest Pink Line or Yellow Line station, thus improving last mile connectivity.

Further, this makes the commute between the Northwestern part and the Northeastern part of the Pink Line much easier, where before this expansion the fastest route is by interchanging to the Yellow Line at Azadpur, and then onto Red Line at Kashmere Gate, and then back onto Pink Line at Welcome.

Maujpur-Badarpur, not Shiv Vihar?

Yes, the loop will not include the stations Gokulpuri, Johri Enclave and Shiv Vihar — the stations approaching Loni, and these will become part of a spur of the Pink Line instead. You will have to interchange at Maujpur-Badarpur to go to Loni if you are approaching from Burari side.

Any new Interchanges?

Technically, now Maujpur-Badarpur will be an interchange between the main loop and the Loni spur. Other than that, the 8 new stations will not have any interchange with any current Delhi Metro Line.

In the Phase 5 plans, there is a planned interchange of Pink Line at the new station Khajuri Khas, with the planned Mayur Vihar-Loni border corridor. More on that in a later part.

Further, the Delhi-Panipat RRTS will run parallel to the Pink Line between four stations: Soorghat, Jagatpur Village, Jharoda Majra and Burari, and it is possible (perhaps likely) that one of these stations will become an interchange with the Delhi-Panipat RRTS — comment below if you think one of these stations will be an interchange, and if so, which one?

When is it Opening?

The first three stations — Burari, Jharoda Majra and Jagatpur Village — are opening today (17th September 2025). The rest of the stations are expected to open in early 2026, perhaps March 2026. The stations are constructed, and I believe the tracks are completed too, with testing ongoing, making the March 2026 opening timeline a reasonable and likely timeline.

What is the Yamanote Line?

The Yamanote Line is arguably the most famous and vital train line in Tokyo. It is a 34.5 km commuter rail loop that acts as the city’s central artery, connecting Tokyo’s major urban and commercial hubs like Shinjuku, Shibuya, and Tokyo Station.

The line’s genius lies in its purpose. Instead of funnelling all traffic through one central point, the Yamanote Line allows millions of daily commuters to travel between different city centers seamlessly. It’s a masterclass in urban planning, as its ultra-high frequency, with trains running every few minutes, makes it the gold standard for efficient, high-capacity urban mobility.

By creating a complete ring that provides a logical way to orbit the city, the Yamanote Line has become the key that unlocks the rest of Tokyo’s vast transit network. Delhi having its own full loop line, the Pink Line, indicates a bright future for network planning that is learning from the global titan of public transportation.

What are the future extensions?

As for Delhi Metro Phase 4, these are the other planned extensions:

• Magenta Line extension from Janakpuri West to Connaught Place (RK Ashram Marg) via North Delhi

• Green Line extension from Inderlok to Indraprastha via New Delhi Railway Station. You can read about how the existing Inderlok station is being retrofitted to accommodate this expansion on this link.

• Red Line expansion northwestwards, covering Rohini-Bawana-Sanoth-Narela-Kundli-Nathupur-Sonipat

And the following new lines:

• Golden Line from Aerocity to Tughlakabad, via Chhattarpur and Saket

• Golden Line Branch, from Aerocity to Lajpat Nagar, via Chhattarpur, Saket and Greater Kailash

As for the Pink Line, there is one planned extension in phase 5:

• A branch from Gokulpuri (on the Loni Spur) to Arthala (in Ghaziabad) via the newly opened Hindon Airport

Keeping all of that in mind, I will be writing posts about each of these expansions, to keep you all up to date on the future plans of this city we call home. Until then, you can explore how DMRC made a massive planning flaw during Phase 2 of Delhi Metro, and how they are fixing it to achieve their phase 4 goals on this link. Or if you are interested in the very origins of Delhi Metro, you can read about it on this link. Until later!

Welcome back to TrackPoint: Delhi Metro Unraveled, and welcome to this series on TrackPoint: Delhi Metro Phase 4, where I will be breaking down all of the plans for Delhi Metro in phase 4, including all the new lines and stations, interesting stories like this one, new optimal paths to visit popular locations, etc. In this part, we will explore how DMRC made a massive planning flaw while planning Inderlok back in Phase 2 of Delhi Metro, and how they are planning to fix it in Phase 4 of Delhi Metro to extend the Green Line from Inderlok to Indraprastha.

Inderlok: A Masterpiece of Convenience, a Paradox of Design

For millions of commuters in North and West Delhi, the Inderlok Metro station on the Red Line has long been a familiar and incredibly convenient hub. When the Green Line opened, terminating here, it offered an almost seamless transfer. Picture this: stepping off your Red Line train and, with minimal effort, either a short walk across a platform or a quick escalator ride, you could be on a Green Line train. Indeed, the Inderlok Red-Green interchange is the most convenient and intuitively designed transfer point in the entire Delhi Metro network at present, characterized by its smooth flow and minimal vertical travel. This very convenience, however, is born from a specific design choice that created a hidden problem for the future.

The Green Line platforms at Inderlok were designed as terminal, or ‘dead-end,’ platforms. They are absolutely perpendicular to the Red Line tracks, on the exact same level. This means Green Line trains arriving from Mundka or Bahadurgarh pull into Inderlok and then simply stop. To continue their journey back onto the line, they must reverse direction. For a terminus, this is standard procedure and operationally efficient. But what if the line needs to extend beyond this terminus, maintaining a continuous, through-running service? This is where Inderlok’s clever solution for immediate convenience became a significant flaw for long-term expansion.

The Flaw Unveiled: The Challenge of Extending the Green Line

Now, picture this. You are a planner, and you want to extend the green line further from Inderlok, towards Central Delhi. Well, you simply cannot extend the line further from the terminus at Inderlok. The moment you do so, you’ll be intersecting with the red line tracks.

But clearly, you want to decongest the Red Lines and Blue Lines, and provide metro access in the 4–6km gap between them in the center-west part of the city.

So what you come up with is a new line, Inderlok-Indraprastha. Now this line was not officially named, but the working names for this line were Indigo Line or Brown Line in alternative sources.

Yet, this does not exactly solve the problem as efficiently you were trying to solve. People will still need to interchange at Inderlok, which would reduce the amount of people using the new stretch. Also, building a new line is a costly endeavour in itself. The main cost of adding a new line instead of continuing an older line would be having to construct a new depot shed, and also to imprint the new lines into the psyche of the daily commuters. (Yes, this is also a very important part of it.)

Building Around the Problem: Phase 4’s Ingenious (and Costly) Solution

Rather than abandoning the connection or forcing cumbersome reversals, DMRC devised an ingenious solution as part of its ambitious Phase 4 expansion. The upcoming Green Line extension from Inderlok to Indraprastha will not simply extend from the existing elevated platforms. Instead, DMRC is undertaking a complex engineering feat: A New Underground Station. A brand-new underground station will be constructed at Inderlok, specifically designed for the seamless, continuous through-running of Green Line trains towards Indraprastha. This new station will integrate with the existing elevated Red Line and Green Line stations, likely via new concourse levels or foot overbridges, ensuring paid-to-paid interchange.

It would seem that redesigning the station was cheaper than constructing a new line.

What About the Old Platforms

Obviously if you are reading this blog, you likely care about such details. So here are my speculations!

There are two possibilities that I foresee for the existing platform:

• Still used for trains that terminate at Inderlok: The current plans for the Green Line will make it an extremely long line (yeah, it will take me four parts to get through all the plans for the green line!). Thus I expect there to be some services that terminate at Inderlok, which can use the perfectly fine for the purpose existing platforms.

• Repurposed for shops: If DMRC decides maintaining the current platforms is an additional overhead they do not want to maintain, the existing platforms may be converted into outlets and eateries. It is, after all, an interchange.

Well there is of course the third option that they cordon it off. Not very interesting to think about that option.

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Inderlok, therefore, stands as a unique example in the Delhi Metro’s story: a station that embodies both a pinnacle of early interchange convenience and a profound lesson in the complexities of unforeseen expansion. It highlights DMRC’s remarkable ability to adapt and innovate, even when building around limitations inherited from earlier, less prescriptive planning.

Question to the Readers

What do you think about this planning flaw? What do you think about the solution?