NEW DELHI (Metro Rail News): Recently, Union Minister Shri ML Khattar announced that Delhi Metro will have residential buildings built using the free air space. The idea sparked debate over the feasibility of the project including, but not limited to, issues like load on civic infrastructure, water supply and drainage, and noise pollution.

In a previous article, we explored the financial and housing benefits of the plan. The idea can create a non-fare revenue source for the metro. Additionally, it can provide solutions to the housing problem in the city. This study, however, will assess the feasibility of the project and provide comparison with infrastructure projects around the world including the through-building Metro Station in Liziba, China and a hotel above the Railway Station in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.

Challenges of building residential buildings above metro stations

The plan to build residential buildings involves many infrastructural and social challenges. The primary challenges will be the construction of civic infrastructure such as water supply and drainage issues. The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) will have to tackle these issues before moving forward with the plan.

Along with the infrastructural issues, the plan has social issues like the problem of sound and vibrations through the trains. The residents can have disruptions due to the movements of trains in the stations. The challenge will be to reduce the noise and minimise disturbance to the residence. 

Innovation in other places around the World

• Liziba, China (The through-building Metro Station)

Liziba Monorail Station in Chongqing, China is a modern infrastructural innovation where a through building metro line was constructed when the project faced an obstacle due to a building passing through the route. The station now serves as an engineering innovation setting example around the world. Special materials are applied on the train to reduce noise. 

It was a monorail project, so the construction is much different from a metro station. However, it reflects a maneuver that can inspire designing the Delhi Metro’s residential project. The 19-storey building has residential areas on 10 floors from the top while the train passes through the 6th to 8th floor.

• The Leela Hotel, Gandhinagar (Hotel above Railway Station)

A prime example of utilizing air space above a railway station exists in Gandhinagar, Gujarat where a luxury hotel is built above a railway station. The Leela Hotel in Gandhinagar is constructed above the Gandhinagar Railway Station. During the announcement, Khattar also mentioned this hotel as a model for the Delhi Metro project. 

The hotel provides an example of similar projects having been built in the same country strengthening Delhi Metro’s aspirations. Taking inspiration from this, Delhi metro can build a similar structure ensuring all the infrastructural and social issues.

Conclusion

Delhi Metro’s aspirations to build residential infrastructure seems like a fruitful idea in both financial and urban housing aspects. Despite these benefits, the idea is challenging on many infrastructural and social sides. The idea is still in the budding phase, however, it can leap into a big structural change in the metro system. In the past, different systems such as Liziba monorail in China and Gandhinagar Railway Station in Gujarat innovated designs to explore such ventures.

Also Read: Delhi Metro to build Residential Buildings above stations for housing and revenue