GURGAON: Decks have been cleared for a Metro system within the millennium city with the Haryana government formally awarding the Gurgaon Metro Rail Link (GMRL) project to a consortium of IL&FS and DLF Metro on Thursday.

The 6.1 km long Metro which will pass through six stations Sikanderpur, DLF Phase-II, Belvedere Park, Gateway Towers, Mall of India and DLF Phase-III will be constructed at a cost of Rs 900 crore. The government has awarded the concession for 99 years to build and operate the Metro. IL&FS will hold 74% stake while the remaining 26% will be with the DLF Metro. "We will provide a modern, safe and reliable system. The project will be completed within the stipulated time,'' said a spokesperson of GMRL.

It will be a first-of-its-kind project where a private company will run a public transport system. The city Metro will connect with the Delhi Metro station at Sikkanderpur through a 90-metre long and 9-metre wide bridge. The Metro link will also act as a feeder of the Central Secretariat-Gurgaon line.

The spokesperson added that there will be common ticketing. "The frequency will always be synchronized with the Delhi Metro system,'' he said, adding that the trains will run at an average speed of 30 kmph. "The system has been designed to run at a minimum frequency of 90 seconds. There is also a provision of extending this system in either direction,'' added the spokesperson.