Noida Metro Aqua Line & SBI NMRC City 1 Card Guide (2026)

The Noida Metro Aqua Line—spanning 29.7 kilometers and 21 elevated stations from Sector 51 in Noida to the Depot Station in Greater Noida—serves as the primary transportation lifeline for hundreds of thousands of daily commuters, corporate employees, and university students across Gautam Buddha Nagar. Operating independently under the Noida Metro Rail Corporation (NMRC), the Aqua Line connects seamlessly with the Delhi Metro Blue Line via a dedicated pedestrian walkway and e-rickshaw corridor at Sector 51 / Sector 52.

For daily travelers, purchasing single-journey paper QR tickets every morning results in frustrating counter queues. The solution is the official SBI NMRC City 1 Card, a co-branded RuPay transit card that provides queue-free boarding and automatic travel discounts. In this comprehensive 2026 guide, we outline where to buy the card, fare structures, recharge rules, and nationwide NCMC interoperability.

1. What Is the SBI NMRC City 1 Card?

The SBI NMRC City 1 Card is a contactless pre-paid transit smart card developed jointly by the State Bank of India (SBI) and NMRC. Operating on the open-loop RuPay EMV standard, it provides:

• Automatic 10% Fare Discount: Cardholders receive an automatic 10% concession on regular token fares on every single journey across the Aqua Line.
• Dual Functionality: Can be used for transit turnstile taps on the Aqua Line, as well as for shopping payments at merchant POS terminals accepting RuPay prepaid cards.
• Queue-Free Boarding: Tap and go at automatic fare collection (AFC) gates in less than 300 milliseconds.

2. The Landmark Update: Full NCMC Interoperability

For years, the most frustrating drawback of the Noida Metro was that it operated on a separate ticketing system from the neighboring Delhi Metro (DMRC), forcing commuters to carry two separate plastic cards in their wallets.

This limitation was officially eliminated on 15 August 2026!

In alignment with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs' "One Nation, One Card" directive, NMRC upgraded all AFC turnstiles across its 21 stations to accept all standardized RuPay National Common Mobility Cards (NCMC). This means:

• If you carry an Airtel DMRC NCMC Card, an RBL Namma Metro Card, or a RuPay NCMC Debit Card issued by SBI, HDFC, ICICI, or Canara Bank, you can tap directly at Noida Metro Aqua Line turnstiles!
• You no longer need to purchase an SBI NMRC City 1 card if your primary bank card already displays the contactless NCMC transit symbol.

3. Where and How to Buy an SBI NMRC City 1 Card

Acquiring an SBI NMRC smart card takes under 5 minutes across any operational Aqua Line station:

Key Purchase Stations:

• Noida Sector 51 Station: The major interchange station connecting with Delhi Metro Blue Line (Sector 52).
• NSEZ Station: Catering to Noida Special Economic Zone corporate workers.
• Pari Chowk Station: The bustling commercial hub of Greater Noida.
• Knowledge Park II Station: Serving the university and institutional student cluster.

Counter Application Steps:

1. Walk up to the Ticket Office Machine (TOM) / Customer Care booth at any Aqua Line station.
2. Request an "SBI NMRC City 1 Card".
3. Provide your active mobile number and an authorized government photo ID (Aadhaar or PAN) for simplified digital KYC.
4. Pay the issuance fee (₹118) and your initial recharge amount (minimum ₹100) via UPI, debit card, or cash.
5. The station agent encodes the card, and it is activated immediately for travel.

4. How to Recharge and Maintain Balance

To ensure smooth gate entry, cardholders must maintain a minimum balance of ₹20 on their card microchip:

• Station Ticket Counters (TOM): Present your card to the station ticketing agent and top up with cash, UPI, or bank cards.
• Ticket Vending Machines (TVM): Insert or tap your card on the TVM reader screen, select your top-up amount, and complete payment via UPI QR code.
• Online Portals & Apps: Top up through the SBI Card portal or Noida Metro official app. Crucial Step: After recharging online, you must tap your card once on a station Add Value Machine (AVM) to write the new funds onto your physical chip.

5. Crucial Tips for Aqua Line Commuters

• Interchange Transfer Protocol: When transferring between Delhi Metro Blue Line (Sector 52) and Noida Metro Aqua Line (Sector 51), you must tap out of the Blue Line gate, walk along the dedicated 300-meter paved pedestrian walkway, and tap into the Aqua Line gate.
• WhatsApp QR Ticket Fallback: If you forget your card at home, NMRC operates an official WhatsApp ticketing chatbot. Simply send a message to NMRC's official helpline number to purchase dynamic mobile QR tickets instantly via UPI.

FAQs

Sources

• Pune Metro Rail Project (Maha Metro) Official Fare and NCMC Guide
• DMRC National Common Mobility Card Guidelines
• RBI Master Direction on Pre-Paid Instruments and Transit Cards