9 months gone, footbridge to link Gzb RRTS, Bus Adda metro stns not ready

Ghaziabad: Nine months have passed since commercial operations started on the 17km priority section of rapid rail, but the Ghaziabad municipal corporation has not been able to construct a foot overbridge linking Ghaziabad rapid rail station with Shaheed Sthal New Bus Adda metro station on the Red Line route.
NCRTC officials said that changes in design and issues in procuring land led to the delay, and the work would take at least six months if started anytime soon.According to the plan, an FOB — 300m long and 4.5m wide — will connect the two stations so that commuters can access it without having to step out.

“The integration of the two stations was planned at the very initial stage of the rapid rail project, which not only commenced commercial operation on the priority section but also added a 17km additional stretch to Modinagar, and now it is being extended to Meerut. Despite significant progress made by NCRTC in the last four and a half years, they have still not been able to construct an FOB linking the two stations even after the passage of nine months,” said Sanjay Mishra, a commuter.
He added that the two stations are 500m apart, but since the Meerut tri-section is one of the busiest areas of the city, it is difficult to access the stations. Commuters are only left with the option of taking an e-rickhaw or a three-wheeler to reach the stations, he said.
NCRTC officials, meanwhile, said that changes in design and issues in procuring land have led to the delay.
An official said, “For direct connectivity between Ghaziabad rapid rail station and Shaheed Sthal New Bus Adda metro station, a 300m FOB has been planned, but civil work has still not commenced due to reasons ranging from design change and procuring land chunks which belong to GMC and even private parties. The design change has been made, and the foundation of the FOB pillars is being laid, and this will be followed by civil work.”
The official said the FOB will be ready by Dec, however, steps have been taken for multi-modal connectivity of other rapid rail stations.
“Sahibabad rapid rail station for instance, which has been integrated with the UPSRTC Bus Depot in Kaushambi,” added the official.