The National Capital Region will get a step closer to the Capital with the Delhi Metro set to enter Noida this year. Work on the Indraprastha-New Ashok Nagar-Noida corridor is in its final stages. The line is likely to open by June.

Almost 80 per cent work is finished between Noida Sector 15 and Sector 32 (Noida City Centre) on the 15.1 km stretch, which will come as a major relief to commuters across the state border.

“Between Indraprastha and New Ashok Nagar there will be four stations—Games Village, Mayur Vihar, Mayur Vihar Extension and New Ashok Nagar — and between Noida Sector 15 to Sector 32 there will be six,” a Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) official said.

By 2011, around 53,000 people are expected to travel on the line, according to Metro officials. The entire stretch will be elevated.

All stations on this line will have a sleek look and will be architecturally different.

Officials said these stations will have glazed tiles on the exterior and will look like “malls” and synchronise with the commercial outlets around them.

Noida authorities are planning to integrate the MRTS with the Light Rail Transport (LRT) System. “The LRT system will serve like the feeder services as the passenger load is lesser there. However, the LRT is only in the project report stage,” DMRC spokesperson Anuj Dayal said.

Meanwhile, the Gurgaon section of the Delhi Metro, which stretches from the Haryana border to HUDA City Centre (Sushant Lok), is also gearing up for an early opening next year.

“We will need more time to connect the Gurgaon line with the Delhi section as this part will be underground, but the Gurgaon section, which is elevated, will be open by January 2010. The underground section takes time and we do not want to hold back the entire line because of that,” Dayal said.

“However, after opening the Gurgaon section, we will ensure adequate feeder services to connect it to the nearest metro.”