Golden Line (Delhi Metro)

The Golden Line (Line 10) is an under-construction rapid transit line of the Delhi Metro. It will connect southern Delhi directly with Indira Gandhi International Airport to relieve the increasing traffic, congestion and pollution on roads. It will start from Terminal 1-IGI Airport, which was previously planned from Delhi Aerocity, and end in Tughlakabad. It will be 25.82 km long with 16 stations, out of which four will be elevated and 12 will be underground. Construction began on the line in June 2022, as part of the fourth phase of the Delhi Metro's development, and is expected to be completed by March 2026.

History
The Golden Line, initially named as Silver Line, was conceptualized by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) under the Phase IV of Delhi Metro's future expansion and development in July 2016. As per the plan, six new lines covering a length of about 104 km have been planned to be added to the metro network, out of which the Golden Line would cover southern Delhi at a length of 20.2 km. The plans were finalized for implementation by the Government of Delhi in December 2018; this time the length of the Golden Line increased to 23.6 km. In March 2019, the plans were approved for construction by the Government of India. Thus, land acquisition for Phase IV and Golden Line began from April 2019, and was completed by three years. Construction was supposed to begin from 2021, but was delayed due to the restrictions imposed by the government due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Hence, construction was started by Afcons Infrastructure and Larsen & Toubro in June 2022. It was expected to be completed by 2024/25, which has been extended to March 2026, as of January 2024.

In November 2020, the DMRC changed the alignment of the Golden Line as per the instructions of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to circumvent the Qutb Minar and the Mehrauli Archaeological Park, so to avoid any harm to these critical historical sites during construction and operation. As per the initial plan, the line was proposed to be extended to Terminal 1 of Indira Gandhi International Airport, in order to provide commuters a faster and direct link to the airport's premises. The proposal was approved by the Government of Delhi after the DMRC created and showed a Detailed Project Report (DPR) in December 2023, thereby increasing the line's length to 25.82 km. The name of the line was changed from 'Silver Line' to 'Golden Line' in January 2024.

Stations
The stations being built on the Golden Line are:

Project timeline

 * July 2016: The Phase IV plan consisting of six new lines, including the Golden Line (then Silver Line) was created by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC).


 * December 2018: The Phase IV and the Golden Line were approved by the Government of Delhi.


 * March 2019: Both the Phase IV and the Golden Line were approved by the Government of India.


 * April 2019: Land acquisition begins for the Golden Line.


 * November 2020: The alignment of the line was changed as per the advise of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to avoid possible impacts to the Qutb Minar and the Mehrauli Archaeological Park.


 * June 2022: Construction on the line started by Afcons Infrastructure and Larsen & Toubro.


 * December 2023: The proposal to extend the line to Terminal 1 of Indira Gandhi International Airport was approved by the Government of Delhi.


 * January 2024: The name of the line was changed to 'Golden Line' from 'Silver Line' by the DMRC. It is expected to be completed by March 2026.