No roof & travelator, commuters avoid footbridge linking rapid rail, Red Line amid rising heat

Ghaziabad: A footbridge connecting Ghaziabad rapid rail station with Shaheed Sthal New Bus Adda metro station on Red Line became operational in Feb this year. But of late, it has hardly been used.

The 300m footbridge has no shade, and with the temperature rising, commuters are avoiding it.“We deboard a rapid rail train and then board the metro on the Red Line. Both trains are air-conditioned. But while making the change, you have to walk 300 m under the blazing sun,” a daily commuter, Shivangi Misra, said. “With the temperature soaring up to 42 degrees, the walk feels endless.”Delhi-NCR is currently reeling under a heatwave-like condition. According to India Meteorological Department, a heatwave is declared when the maximum temperature rises by 4.5 degrees to 6.4 degrees above normal or when the actual temperature rises above normal.“In this season, it is easier to navigate through congested roads below to reach the stations. There might be auto stands or other cars parked below the bridge, but it at least has some shade. Before opening this bridge, the NCRTC should have covered it,” another commuter, Vikrant Sharma, said.NCRTC constructed this 300m-long and 6.5m-wide footbridge as a part of its multimodal integration to seamlessly connect RRTS stations with other transport modes—metro, Indian Railways, buses and airports.

“The civil structure of the overbridge was ready, and so we opened in Feb. However, only half the work was done. There is a plan to install a travelator along the 300m bridge,” an NCRTC official said. “Till the time it is installed, the structure cannot be covered.”The official added that they initiated the process of procuring the travelators last year. “The tender for the same has also been awarded and their installation will begin next month,” he said. “Once the travelators are installed, we will then begin the construction of the roof. This entire work is likely to be completed early next year.”As of now, a travelator has been installed at Sarai Kale Khan rapid rail station, which connects it to Nizamuddin Railway Station. It has not started operating yet.