Noida Aqua Line Metro vs Lucknow Metro: Which city has a better metro rail system?

There’s no denying that the metro rail system in any city quickly evolves to become the lifeline of the public transport in the area. Two of the newly launched metros in the country- Noida’s Aqua Line Metro and Lucknow Metro are quickly changing the way the average citizen commutes in the city. Today, we take a look at both of them and put them head to head to determine which one is cheaper, has a better route and overall is more convenient to the city it covers.

Lucknow Metro vs Noida Metro

Lucknow metro is one of the latest additions to the metro scene in the country. Though some part of it became accessible to the citizens back in 2017, the full route of the metro has opened up only recently- in March 2019. Earlier, areas from Transport Nagar to Charbagh were connected but now, commuters can travel seamlessly from CCS Airport to Munshipuliya, both of which are at different ends of the city. As for the ridership, the Lucknow metro sees a daily footfall of around 60,000 people.

Noida’s Aqua Line on the other hand is an extension of the Delhi Metro, which has been around for over a decade. Though it comes under NMRC’s wing, it still remains an extension of the Delhi metro as it is now connected to the Blue line. The metro system was inaugurated in January 2019 and connects Noida Sector 51 to Greater Noida’s Depot Station. On a daily basis, the Aqua Line sees an average ridership of almost 11,000 commuters.

Along the route, Lucknow metro now covers 22 stations across some major hubs of the city. Namely, these are Chaudhary Charan Singh Airport, Transport Nagar, Singar Nagar, Charbagh, Hazratganj, Lucknow University, Mahanagar, Indra Nagar- all of which comprise of residential and office areas as well as marketplaces.

Since it covers a length of 23.7 kilometers, it is a boon for both the working class and the shoppers, making matters convenient for all. To traverse the entire length of the metro route, it should take you around 50 minutes to an hour.

Noida’s Aqua Line metro route has 21 stations currently, one less than Lucknow metro. However, the trains cover a greater distance along the route- 29.7 kilometers. Most of the areas covered by the Aqua Line are residential areas with some office complexes along the way and where the Aqua Line misses out is on marketplaces.

Some of the prominent areas that it covers are Sector 50, Sector 101, Special Economic Zone, Sector 137, Sector 147, Pari Chowk and GNIDA Office. To cover the entire distance of the metro route, it would take you a little over an hour.

In terms of pricing and fares, one can traverse the North-South corridor of Lucknow metro for a mere ₹60. The Aqua Line on the other hand is cheaper by 10 bucks as the maximum fare for a token is ₹50. Since the Aqua Line covers more distance at lower price, it has an edge over the Lucknow metro. Apart from that, the base fare for each of the metros is ₹10.

At its core, both the cities metro rail transport systems aim to make commuting an easy task for residents of the city. Gone are the days of air polluting, crowded buses as the new metro routes not only herald a new era of public transport, but also for development and technology in the city of operation. Each of the cities metros have their own ups and downs, but the essence of the service remains the same.