The initiative will be implemented in February, NMRC Managing Director said. (File)
In order to reduce the travel time of Aqua Line commuters, the Noida Metro Rail Corporation (NMRC) on Tuesday said it has decided to introduce "fast trains" which will skip stations having low ridership during peak hours.
The initiative will be implemented in February, NMRC Managing Director Ritu Maheshwari said in a statement.
She said Metro train services starting from terminal stations (Sector 51 Station and Depot Station) from 8 am to 11 am and 5 pm to 8 pm on weekdays i.e., Monday to Friday will be "fast trains".
"Of the 21 stations on the Aqua Line, 10 stations will be skipped by these fast trains during peak hours," Ms Maheshwari said.
The stations which will be skipped are Sector - 50, Sector - 101, Sector - 81, Sector - 83, Sector - 143, Sector - 144, Sector - 145, Sector - 146, Sector - 147 and Sector 148 Metro Stations, she said.
QR Tickets will not be sold at these stations and for these stations during "fast trains" running hours, she added.
"The average run time of the Aqua Line from Sector 51 Metro Station in Noida to Depot Station in Greater Noida and vice versa is 45 minutes 43 seconds (one way), which will be reduced to 36 minutes 40 seconds, thereby saving around 9 minutes of travel time for the Aqua Line commuters," the NMRC chief said.
"The run time between Sector 51 Metro station (having highest ridership) and Pari Chowk Metro Station (having second highest ridership), which is presently 37 minutes, will also become 28 minutes 30 seconds with the skipping of stations," she said.
However, Ms Maheshwari said the frequency of trains from Monday to Friday will remain the same i.e., 7.5 minutes during peak hours and 10 minutes in non-peak hours.
On Saturdays and Sundays, Aqua Line trains will continue to run at a frequency of 15 minutes with no skipping of stations, she added.
Adequate efforts are being made by NMRC to generate awareness among the general public regarding the schedule of Fast Trains and the stations that will be skipped, according to the statement.
Signages indicating the timings of normal and fast trains and the list of stations that will be skipped will be displayed at all the Metro stations of the Aqua Line. Regular announcements in this regard will also be made inside the stations and the trains, it added.