Noida Metro to operate on Saturdays from August 14 as Uttar Pradesh relaxes weekend lockdown

File Photo

New Delhi: As the Uttar Pradesh government decided to relax weekend lockdown, the Noida Metro Rail Corporation (NMRC) announced on Friday (August 13) that services of its Aqua Line between Noida and Greater Noida will resume on Saturdays, PTI reported. 

NMRC Managing Director Ritu Maheshwari said, “The weekend curfew has been lifted by Uttar Pradesh government on Saturdays. Accordingly, the NMRC has decided to resume the metro rail service on Saturdays.”

The Aqua line metro will become operational on Saturdays from August 14. "This change will be effective from August 14 onwards. The train operation will not be there on Sundays because the state government has not lifted the curfew on Sunday," Maheshwari was quoted as saying by PTI. 

Currently, the metro trains ply at an interval of 10 minutes during peak hours (8 am to 11 am and 5 pm to 8 pm) and 15 minutes during non-peak hours from Monday to Friday, the NMRC said. Further, the NMRC added that metro services on Saturdays will be available at an interval of 15 minutes throughout the day. The metro trains will now run from 6 am till 10 pm from Monday to Saturday.

On August 11, the UP government lifted weekend lockdown from Saturdays in view of improving coronavirus situation in the state. However, COVID-19 curbs will continue on Sundays. 

An order issued by Awanish K Awasthi, Additional Chief Secretary, Home read, "Movement of people allowed from 6 am-10 pm from Mondays to Saturdays, with effect from 14th August. People will mandatorily need to wear masks, observe social distancing & use sanitizer. Sunday lockdown/Corona Curfew will continue."

Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh reported 33 new cases and two more people died of COVID-19 infection, as per state health bulletin on Friday. In the past 24 hours, no fresh case was reported in 54 districts, the bulletin added. 

(With PTI inputs)