The Ashram Metro station, part of the 9.7-km section of the Pink Line connecting Lajpat Nagar and Mayur Vihar pocket-I, will not only ease the commute between east and south Delhi but has also set a new world record.
With a size of just 151.6 metres against an average of 265 metres, the underground station—opening on Monday—is set to become the smallest Metro station in the world.
Before the doors of the station are formally thrown open on Monday at 4 pm, Hindustan Times brings to its readers the first look of its unique design.
The Ashram station will also greet its users with its eye-catching art work that revolves around the theme of ‘mother and child’. The colour scheme conveys the theme of ‘abundance’.
To build the station, located at the centre of one of the busiest intersections in the city, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) had to fight several land acquisition battles. The prolonged legal battle forced the designers to come up with a station design that took just 151.6 metres of space against the average of 265 metres.
“There was a private land that we could not acquire. Instead of waiting for two years battling the court case and delaying line, we came up with the new design,” said a senior Metro official, who has led the construction.
The DMRC had to reduce the station by almost half the average size. This was done by making the station vertically while saving space horizontally.
The official said this has become a model for Metro stations across the globe.
“Land prices are soaring and any design that can save space is a boon for governments,” he said.
At present, Bhikaji Cama Place is the smallest station in the Delhi Metro network, with a length of 225.5 metres.
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