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GREATER NOIDA: The Yamuna expressway industrial development authority (Yeida) has decided to carry out a feasibility study of a new Rapid Rail alignment originating from Delhi’s Sarai Kale Khan till Noida International airport, the Authority announced on Thursday.
The move comes after the Union ministry of housing and urban affairs (MoHUA) observed that the original proposed link, from Ghaziabad’s Sidharth Vihar to the airport, did not directly connect to the Capital, said officials.
“We will meet the national capital region transport corporation (NCRTC) officials shortly, and then carry out the feasibility study of this route that begins from Sarai Kale Khan, pass through Noida’s central areas including City Centre, Phase II and Greater Noida Pari Chowk before ending at Noida International Airport. Once the feasibility study is completed, the project will be taken to the next stage,” said Shailendra Bhatia, additional chief executive officer, Yeida.
The decision was taken after a high-level meeting, chaired by MoHUA, on Wednesday, said officials.
The report will be prepared by NCRTC in coordination with Yeida. Officials said several connectivity options had been assessed to link the airport with the larger NCR network.
A detailed project report (DPR) had earlier been prepared for a 72.2km elevated Ghaziabad–Jewar corridor, with 11 Rapid Rail and 11 Metro stations planned on a shared track. The Uttar Pradesh government had already granted in-principle approval.
However, MoHUA raised 10 objections, questioning among others the logic of connecting the airport through Ghaziabad, the absence of a destination survey, the presence of a proposed Aqua Line Metro extension on the same route, and the impracticality of running Rapid Rail and Metro on a single corridor. Despite Yamuna authority’s response, many of the key concerns remained.
During the high-level review meeting—attended by officials from the UP government, Noida International Airport Ltd (NIAL), Yamuna International Airport Pvt Ltd (YIAPL), Noida Metro Rail Corporation Limited (NMRC)and NCRTC—it was noted that the earlier alignment failed to provide the essential Delhi–Jewar direct link.
As a result, Authorities said the Ghaziabad route would not draw the expected passenger volume and would not meet airport connectivity needs
As a result, officials agreed that a new Rapid Rail corridor should begin from Delhi’s Sarai Kale Khan. Preliminary discussions suggest the alignment may run through DND, Noida City Centre, Noida Phase-2, Surajpur, Pari Chowk, Ecotech-6, Dankaur and YEIDA sectors 18 and 21 before reaching the airport. If Sarai Kale Khan presents challenges, New Ashok Nagar may serve as an alternate starting point. The final route length and station count will be determined only after the feasibility study.
Officials also noted that extending the earlier alignment through Greater Noida West would have led to duplication with NMRC’s proposed Aqua Line extension from Sector 51 to Knowledge Park-5, making the Rapid Rail route financially unviable and inconvenient for Delhi-bound passengers.
The revised alignment is expected to strengthen airport connectivity and integrate Jewar with the wider NCR transport network, officials added.
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