Construction began in 1998, and the first elevated section (Shahdara to Tis Hazari) on the Red Line opened on 25 December 2002. The first underground section (Vishwa Vidyalaya – Kashmere Gate) on the Yellow Line opened on 20 December 2004.[13] The network was developed in phases. Phase I was completed by 2006, followed by Phase II in 2011. Phase III was mostly complete in 2021, except for a small extension of the Airport Line which opened in 2023.[14] Construction of Phase IV began on 30 December 2019.[15]
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), a joint venture between the Government of India and Delhi, built and operates the Delhi Metro.[16][17] The DMRC was certified by the United Nations in 2011 as the first metro rail and rail-based system in the world to receive carbon credits for reducing greenhouse-gas emissions, reducing annual carbon emission levels in the city by 630,000 tonnes.[6]
The Delhi Metro has interchanges with the Rapid Metro Gurgaon (with a shared ticketing system) and Noida Metro. On 22 October 2019, DMRC took over operations of the financially-troubled Rapid Metro Gurgaon.[18] The Delhi Metro's annual ridership was 203.23 crore (2.03 billion) in 2023.[b][19][20] The system will have interchanges with the Delhi-Meerut RRTS, India's fastest urban regional transit system.[21][22]
History
Background
Evolution of the Delhi Metro from 2003 to 2018
The concept of mass rapid transit for New Delhi first emerged from a 1969 traffic and travel characteristics study in the city.[23] Over the next several years, committees in a number of government departments were commissioned to examine issues related to technology, route alignment, and governmental jurisdiction.[23] In 1984, the Urban Arts Commission proposed the development of a multi-modal transport system which would build three underground mass rapid transit corridors and augmenting the city's suburban railway and road transport networks.[24]
The city expanded significantly while technical studies and financing the project underway, doubling its population and increasing the number of vehicles five-fold between 1981 and 1998.[24] Traffic congestion and pollution soared as an increasing number of commuters used private vehicles, and the existing bus system was unable to bear the load.[23] A 1992 attempt to privatise the bus transport system compounded the problem, with inexperienced operators plying poorly-maintained, noisy and polluting buses on lengthy routes; this resulted in long waiting times, unreliable service, overcrowding, unqualified drivers, speeding and reckless driving[25] which led to road accidents. The Government of India under Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda[26] and the Government of Delhi set up the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) on 3 May 1995, with Elattuvalapil Sreedharan its managing director.[27]Mangu Singh replaced Sreedharan as DMRC managing director on 31 December 2011.[28]
Initial construction
When the project was originally approved by the Union Cabinet in September 1996, it had three corridors. In 1997, official development assistance loans from Japan were granted to finance and conduct the first phase of the system.[29]
Construction of the Delhi Metro began on 1 October 1998.[30] To avoid problems experienced by the Kolkata Metro, which witnessed substantial delays and ran 12 times over budget due to "political meddling, technical problems and bureaucratic delays", the DMRC was created as a special-purpose vehicle vested with autonomy and power to execute the large project which involved many technical complexities in a difficult urban environment within a limited time frame. Putting the central and state governments on an equal footing gave an unprecedented level of autonomy and freedom to the company, which had full powers to hire people, decide on tenders, and control funds.[31][32] The DMRC hired the Hong Kong MTRC as a technical consultant on rapid-transit operation and construction techniques.[33] Construction proceeded smoothly except for a major disagreement in 2000, when the Ministry of Railways forced the system to use 5ft6in (1,676mm)broad gauge despite the DMRC's preference for standard gauge.[34] This decision led to an additional capital expenditure of ₹260 crore (US$30million).[35][36]
A 64.75 kilometer (40.23 miles) network of 59 stations was constructed in Delhi, encompassing the initial sections of the Red, Yellow, and Blue Lines. The stations were opened to the public between 25 December 2002 and 11 November 2006.
A total of 123.3-kilometre-long (76.6mi) network of 86 stations and 10 routes and extensions was built. Seven routes were extensions of the Phase I network, three were new colour-coded lines, and three routes connect to other cities (the Yellow Line to Gurgaon and the Blue Line to Noida and Ghaziabad) of the national capital region in the states of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. At the end of Phases I and II, the network's total length was 188.05km (116.85mi) and 145 stations became operational between 4 June 2008 and 27 August 2011.[6]
Phase I (Red, Yellow and Blue Lines) and Phase II (Green, Violet, and Airport Express Lines) focused on adding radial lines to expand the network. To further reduce congestion and improve connectivity, Phase III included eight extensions to existing lines, two ring lines (the Pink and Magenta Lines) and the Grey Line. It has 28 underground stations, three new lines and seven route extensions, totaling 162.08 kilometres (100.71mi), at a cost of ₹410.079 billion (US$4.8billion).[63][64] The three new Phase III lines are the Pink Line on Inner Ring Road (Line 7), the Magenta Line on Outer Ring Road (Line 8) and the Grey Line connecting Dwarka and Najafgarh (Line 9).[1]
Work on Phase III began in 2011,[84][85] with 2016 the planned deadline.[86] Over 20 tunnel-boring machines were used simultaneously to expedite construction,[87] which was completed in March 2019 (except for a small stretch due to non-availability of land).[88] Short extensions were later added to Phase III, which was expected to be completed by the end of 2020, but construction was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was completed on 18 September 2021 with the opening of the Grey Line extension from Najafgarh to Dhansa Bus Stand.[89] An extension of the Airport Line to Yashobhoomi Dwarka Sector - 25 metro station was later added, and it was completed on 17 September 2023.[90]
Driverless operations on the 38-kilometre-long (24mi) Magenta line began on 28 December 2021, making it the Delhi Metro's (and India's) first driverless metro line.[91] On 25 November 2021, the 59-kilometre-long (37mi) Pink Line also began driverless operations. The total driverless DMRC network is nearly 97km (60mi), putting Delhi Metro in fourth position globally among such networks behind Kuala Lumpur.[92]
The expected daily ridership of the network after the completion of Phase III was estimated at 53.47 lakh passengers. Actual DMRC ridership was 27.79 lakh in 2019–20, 51.97 percent of the projected ridership. Actual ridership of the Phase III corridors was 4.38 lakh, compared with a projected ridership of 20.89 lakh in 2019–20 (a deficit of 79.02 percent).[93][94] The communication-based train control (CBTC) on Phase III trains enables them to run at a 90-second headway, although the actual headway between trains is higher because of the relatively low demand on the new corridors.[95] Keeping the short headway and other constraints in mind, DMRC changed its decision to build nine-car-long stations for new lines and opted for shorter stations which can accommodate six-car trains.[96]
Phase IV
The Delhi Metro was planned to be built in phases spread over about 20 years, with each phase lasting five years and the end of one phase marking the beginning of the next. Phase I (65km or 40mi) and Phase II (125km or 78mi) were completed in 2006 and 2011, respectively. Phase III, totaling 160.07km (99.46mi),[97] was completed on 5 April 2019 except for a short section of the Pink Line between the Mayur Vihar Pocket 1 and Trilokpuri Sanjay Lake stations[98] and the Grey Line extension from Najafgarh to Dhansa Bus Stand;[99] they opened on 6 August and 18 September 2021, respectively.
Phase IV, with a length of 103km (64mi) and six lines, was finalized by the Government of Delhi in December 2018.[100] Approval from the government of India was received for three priority corridors in March 2019.[101] Construction of the corridors 65.1km (40.5mi) began on 30 December 2019, with an expected completion date of 2025.[102] The metro's total length will exceed 450 kilometres (280mi) at the end of Phase IV,[103][88] not including other independently operated systems in the National Capital Region such as the 29.7-kilometre-long (18.5mi) Aqua Line of the Noida-Greater Noida Metro[104] and the 11.7-kilometre (7.3mi)Rapid Metro Gurgaon which connect to the Delhi Metro.[105][106]
Kirti Nagar, Saraswati Garden, Mayapuri Bus Depot, Mayapuri, Hari Nagar Block BE, Mayapuri Industrial Area, Mayapuri Industrial Area-II, Tihar Jail, Shivpuri, Dabri Village, Sitapuri Extension, Mahavir Enclave, Dwarka Sector 2, Dwarka Sector 7, Dwarka Sector 6, Dwarka Court, Dwarka Sector 20, Dwarka Sector 23, Dhul Siras Village, ECC Dwarka, Bamnoli Village
Total
115
141.21
Construction Incidents
On 19 October 2008, a launching gantry and part of the overhead Blue Line extension under construction in Laxmi Nagar collapsed and fell on a passing bus. Workers were using a crane to lift a 400-tonne concrete span of the bridge when the gantry and a 34-metre-long (112ft) span of the bridge collapsed on the bus. The driver and a construction worker were killed.[116]
On 12 July 2009, a section of a bridge collapsed while it was being erected at Zamrudpur, east of Kailash, on the Central Secretariat – Badarpur corridor. Six people died and 15 were injured.[117] A crane removing the debris collapsed the following day and collapsed two other nearby cranes, injuring six.[118] On 22 July 2009, a worker at the Ashok Park Metro station was killed when a steel beam fell on him.[119] Over a hundred people, including 93 workers, have died since work on the metro began in 1998.[120]
On 23 April 2018, five people were injured when an iron girder fell off the elevated section of a Metro structure under construction at the Mohan Nagar intersection in Ghaziabad. A car, an auto rickshaw, and a motorbike were also damaged in the incident.[121]
Expansion
Gurugram Upcoming/Under construction Metro Line
The Haryana Mass Rapid Transit Corporation (HMRTC) has plans to establish a metro network spanning 188 kilometers in Gurugram.
Gurugram Metro Rail Limited (GMRL) will be responsible for constructing, maintaining, and operating this metro line, similar to the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation. Currently, all these lines will be developed in the first phase, with further expansion planned in the second/upcoming phase.
Gurugram Metro Network Plan
Name of Route
Route Length (km)
Starting Station
Terminal Station
Construction Start
Construction End
Millennium City Center to Cyber City
28.5
Millennium City Center
Cyber City
December 2024
August 2027
Rezgallan Chowk to Dwarka Sector 21
7
Rezgallan Chowk
Dwarka Sector 21
December 2024
August 2027
Faridabad to Vatika Chowk
37
Faridabad
Vatika Chowk
December 2024
August 2027
Vatika Chowk to pachgaon kmp interchange
31
Vatika Chowk
Pachgaon Kmp Interchange
December 2024
August 2027
Bhondsi to daulatabad dwarka expressway via railway station
23
Bhondsi
Daulatabad dwara expressway
December 2024
August 2027
Golf Course Extension Road to Sector 5
14
Golf Course Extension Road
Sector 5
December 2024
August 2027
Kherki daula Dwarka expressway cloverleaf to Sector 111
17
Kherki Daula dwarka expressway cloverleaf
Sector 111
December 2024
August 2027
Manesar to samalkha kapasahera road via new colony mor, sadar bazar, old delhi gurgaon road
30
Manesar
Samalkha kapasahera road
December 2024
August 2027
Total System Length
188
Proposed Phase V
Former DMRC managing director E. Sreedharan said that by the time Phase IV is completed, the city will need Phase V to cope with increased population and transport needs.[84] Planning for this phase has not begun, but the following corridor has been suggested for the near future:
Gurugram Metro loop (from HUDA City Centre to Cyber City) - approved: The total length of the corridor will be about 28.80km (17.90mi), consisting of 27 elevated stations with six interchange stations. This link would start at HUDA City Centre and move towards Sector 45, Cyber Park, district shopping centre, Sector 47, Subhash Chowk, Sector 48, Sector 72 A, Hero Honda Chowk, Udyog Vihar Phase 6, Sector 10, Sector 37, Basai village, Sector 9, Sector 7, Sector 4, Sector 5, Ashok Vihar, Sector 3, Bajghera Road, Palam Vihar Extension, Palam Vihar, Sector 23 A, Sector 22, Udyog Vihar Phase 4, Udyog Vihar Phase 5 and finally merge in existing Metro network of Rapid Metro Gurgaon at Moulsari Avenue station near Cyber City.[126]
Gurgaon – Faridabad metro - DPR ready: In May 2020, the Detailed Project Report (DPR) and survey for the 32km (20mi) long Gurgaon-Faridabad metro link from Vatika Chowk in Gururam to Bata Chowk in Faridabad was completed which will have 8 stations, of which the 28km (17mi) elevated stretch along the Gurgaon-Faridabad Road through eco-sensitive wildlife corridor will be elevated.[131]
The RapidX is a semi-high-speed regional rapid transit system (RRTS) which aims to connect Delhi with its neighbouring cities via eight lines of semi-high-speed trains operating at a maximum speed of 160km/h (99mph). Phase I of the project consists of three corridors: Delhi–Meerut, Delhi–Alwar, and Delhi–Panipat corridor. The Delhi–Meerut corridor, also known as the Delhi–Meerut RRTS, is currently under development by the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC).[137][138][139]
The Delhi–Meerut RRTS is 82.15km (51.05mi) long and costs ₹30,274 crore (US$3.5billion). It will comprise 14 stations (with nine additional stations for the Meerut Metro) and two depots. Three of the 14 stations (Sarai Kale Khan, New Ashok Nagar, and Anand Vihar) will be in Delhi, and are planned for seamless integration with the Delhi Metro.[140][141]
Older rolling stock used by the DMRC on Line 1. Most of the stock running on Lines 2, 3, and 4 are planned to be sent to Line 1.
The Red Line, the first metro line opened, connects Rithala in the west to Shaheed Sthal (New Bus Adda) in the east for a distance of 34.55 kilometres (21.47mi).[142] Partly elevated and partly at grade, it crosses the Yamuna River between the Kashmere Gate and Shastri Park stations.[143] The opening of the first stretch on 24 December 2002, between Shahdara and Tis Hazari, crashed the ticketing system due to demand.[144][145] Subsequent sections were opened from Tis Hazari– Trinagar (later renamed Inderlok) on 4 October 2003,[146] Inderlok– Rithala on 31 March 2004, and Shahdara– Dilshad Garden on 4 June 2008.[147] The Red Line has interchanges at Kashmere Gate with the Yellow and Violet Lines, at Inderlok with the Green Line, and at Netaji Subhash Place and Welcome with the Pink Line. An interchange with the Blue Line at Mohan Nagar is planned. Six-coach trains were commissioned on the line on 24 November 2013.[148] An extension from Dilshad Garden to Shaheed Sthal (New Bus Adda) opened on 8 March 2019. The metro introduced a set of two eight-coach trains on the Red Line, converted from the existing fleet of 39 six-coach trains, in November 2022.[149]
Old Yellow Line Mitsubishi-Rotem trainsetTrain arriving at a Yellow Line station
The Yellow Line, the metro's second line, was its first underground line.[150] Running 49 kilometres (30mi) north to south, it connects Samaypur Badli with Millennium City Centre Gurugram in Gurugram. The northern and southern parts of the line are elevated, and the central section (which passes through some of the most congested parts of Delhi) is underground. The underground section between Vishwa Vidyalaya and Kashmere Gate opened on 20 December 2004; the Kashmere Gate– Central Secretariat section opened on 3 July 2005, and Vishwa Vidyalaya– Jahangirpuri on 4 February 2009.[147] The line has India's second-deepest metro station[151] at Chawri Bazar, 25 metres (82ft) below ground level.[152]
An additional stretch from Qutab Minar to Millennium City Centre Gurugram, initially operating separately from the mainline, opened on 21 June 2010; the Chhatarpur station on this stretch opened on 26 August of that year. Due to delays in acquiring land to construct the station, it was built with prefabricated structures in nine months and is the only Delhi Metro station made completely of steel.[153][154] The connecting link between Central Secretariat and Qutub Minar opened on 3 September 2010.[155]
The Yellow Line is the metro's first line to replace four-coach trains with six- and eight-coach configurations. The Metro Museum at Patel Chowk metro station, South Asia's only rapid-transit museum, has a collection of display panels, historical photographs and exhibits tracing the genesis of the Delhi Metro.[159] The museum was opened on 1 January 2009.[151]
The Blue Line, the third line of the metro open, was the first to connect areas outside Delhi.[160] Mainly elevated and partly underground,[161] it connects Dwarka Sub City in the west with the satellite city of Noida in the east for a distance of 56.61 kilometres (35.18mi).[160] The line's first section, between Dwarka and Barakhamba Road, opened on 31 December 2005, and subsequent sections opened between Dwarka– Dwarka Sector 9 on 1 April 2006, Barakhamba Road– Indraprastha on 11 November 2006, Indraprastha– Yamuna Bank on 10 May 2009, Yamuna Bank– Noida City Centre on 12 November 2009, and Dwarka Sector 9– Dwarka Sector 21 on 30 October 2010.[147] The line crosses the Yamuna River between the Indraprastha and Yamuna Bank stations,[143] and has India's second extradosed bridge across the Northern Railways mainlines near Pragati Maidan.[162]
Mitsubishi-Rotem-BEML rolling stock on the Green Line
Opened in 2010, the Green Line (Line 5) is the metro's fifth and its first standard-gauge line; the others were broad gauge. It runs between Inderlok (a Red Line station) and Brigadier Hoshiyar Singh, with a branch line connecting its Ashok Park Main station with Kirti Nagar on the Blue Line. The elevated line, built as part of Phase II, runs primarily along the busy NH 10 route in West Delhi. It has 24 stations, including an interchange, and covers 29.64km (18.42mi). The line has India's first standard-gauge maintenance depot, at Mundka.[168]
It opened in two stages, with the 15.1-kilometre (9.38mi) Inderlok–Mundka section opening on 3 April 2010 and the 3.5-kilometre (2.17mi) Kirti Nagar–Ashok Park Main branch line opening on 27 August 2011. On 6 August 2012, to improve commuting in the National Capital Region, the government of India approved an extension from Mundka to Bahadurgarh in Haryana. The 11.18-kilometre (6.95mi) stretch has seven stations (Mundka Industrial Area, Ghevra, Tikri Kalan, Tikri Border, Pandit Shree Ram Sharma, Bahadurgarh City and Brigadier Hoshiyar Singh) between Mundka and Bahadurgarh, and opened on 24 June 2018. Interchanges are available with the Red Line at Inderlok, the Blue Line at Kirti Nagar and the Pink Line at Punjabi Bagh West.
Mitsubishi-Rotem-BEML rolling stock on the Violet Line
The Violet Line is the sixth metro line opened and the second standard-gauge corridor, after the Green Line. The 47-kilometre-long (29mi) line connects Raja Nahar Singh in Ballabgarh via Faridabad to Kashmere Gate in New Delhi, with 26km (16mi) overhead and the rest underground. The first section between Central Secretariat and Sarita Vihar opened on 3 October 2010, hours before the inaugural ceremony of the 2010 Commonwealth Games, and connects Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (the venue for the games' opening and closing ceremonies).[169] Completed in 41 months, it includes a 100-metre-long (330ft) bridge over the Indian Railways mainlines and a 167.5-metre-long (550ft) cable-stayed bridge across a road flyover; it connects several hospitals, tourist attractions, and an industrial estate. Service is provided at five-minute intervals.[169][170] An interchange with the Yellow Line is available at Central Secretariat through an integrated concourse. On 14 January 2011, the remaining portion from Sarita Vihar to Badarpur was opened; this added three new stations to the network.[171]
The section between Mandi House and Central Secretariat was opened on 26 June 2014, and a 971-metre-long (3,186ft) section between ITO and Mandi House was opened on 8 June 2015. A 14km (8.7mi) extension south to Escorts Mujesar in Faridabad was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 6 September 2015.[172] All nine stations on the Badarpur–Escorts Mujesar (Faridabad) section of the metro's Phase III received the highest rating (platinum) for adherence to green-building norms from the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC). The awards were given to DMRC Managing Director Mangu Singh by IGBC chair P. C. Jain on 10 September 2015.[173]
The Airport Express LineInterior of an Airport Express train
The Airport Express line runs 22.7km (14.1mi) from New Delhi to Yashobhoomi Dwarka Sector - 25, linking the New Delhi railway station and Indira Gandhi International Airport. The line was operated by Delhi Airport Metro Express Pvt. Limited (DAMEL), a subsidiary of Reliance Infrastructure (the line's concessionaire until 30 June 2013). It is now operated by DMRC.[177] The line was built at a cost of ₹57 billion (US$670million), of which Reliance Infrastructure invested ₹28.85 billion (US$340million) and will pay fees in a revenue-share model.[178] It has six stations (Dhaula Kuan and Delhi Aerocity became operational on 15 August 2011), and some have check-in facilities, parking, and eateries.[179] Rolling stock consists of six-coach trains, operating at ten-minute intervals, with a maximum speed of 120km/h (75mph).[179]
Originally scheduled to open before the 2010 Commonwealth Games, the line failed to obtain the mandatory safety clearance and was opened on 23 February 2011 after a delay of about five months. Sixteen months after beginning operations, it was shut down for viaduct repairs on 7 July 2012.[180][181] The line reopened on 22 January 2013.[182] On 27 June 2013, Reliance Infrastructure told DMRC that they were unable to operate the line beyond 30 June of that year. DMRC took over the line on 1 July 2013 with a 100-person operations and maintenance team.[183] In January 2015, DMRC reported that the line's ridership had increased about 30 percent after a fare reduction of up to 40 percent the previous July.[184] DMRC announced a further fare reduction on 14 September 2015, with a maximum fare of ₹60 and minimum of ₹10 instead of ₹100 and ₹20.[185] DMRC said that this was done to reduce crowding on the Blue Line, diverting some Dwarka-bound passengers to the Airport Express Line (which is underutilised and faster than the Blue Line. The line's speed was increased from 100km/h (62mph) to 110km/h (68mph) on 24 June 2023, enabling a 16-minute ride from New Delhi to IGI Airport.
A Hyundai Rotem coach on the Pink Line at the Mayur Vihar-I station
The Pink Line is the second new line of the Delhi Metro's third phase. It was opened on 14 March 2018, with an extension opening on 6 August. The Trilokpuri Sanjay Lake-to-Shiv Vihar section was opened on 31 October, and the Lajpat Nagar-to-Mayur Vihar Pocket I section opened on 31 December of that year. The final section, between Mayur Vihar Pocket I and Trilokpuri Sanjay Lake, was opened on 6 August 2021 after delays due to land-acquisition and rehabilitation issues.[187]
The Pink Line has 38 stations from Majlis Park to Shiv Vihar, both in North Delhi. With a length of 58.43 kilometres (36.31mi), it is the Delhi Metro's longest line. The mostly-elevated line covers Delhi in a U-shaped pattern. It is also known as the Ring Road Line, since it runs along the busy Ring Road.[176]:86
The Magenta Line is the Delhi Metro's first new line of its third phase. The Botanical Garden-to-Kalkaji Mandir section opened on 25 December 2017, and the remainder of the line opened on 28 May 2018.
The Grey Line (also known as Line 9), the metro's shortest, runs from Dwarka to Dhansa Bus Stand in western Delhi. The 4.295km (2.669mi) line has four stations (Dhansa Bus Stand, Najafgarh, Nangli and Dwarka), and has an interchange with the Blue Line at Dwarka. The Najafgarh-to-Dwarka section was opened on 4 October 2019. The extension to Dhansa Bus Stand was scheduled to open in December 2020, but construction was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic; it opened on 18 September 2021.[191]
The Delhi Metro has been undergoing construction in phases. Phase I consisted of 59 stations and 64.75km (40.23mi) of route length,[97] of which 13.0km (8.1mi) is underground and 52.0km (32.3mi) at grade or elevated.[192] The inauguration of the Dwarka–Barakhamba Road corridor of the Blue Line completed Phase I in October 2006.[193] Phase II consists of 123.3km (76.6mi) of route length and 86 stations,[97] and is completed; the first section opened in June 2008, and the last section opened in August 2011.[194] Phase III consists of 109 stations, three new lines and seven route extensions, totaling 160.07km (99.46mi),[97] at a cost of ₹410.79 billion (US$4.8billion).[63] Most of it was completed on 5 April 2019, except for a small section of the Pink Line between the Mayur Vihar Pocket 1 and Trilokpuri Sanjay Lake stations[98] (which opened on 6 August 2021) and the Grey Line extension from Najafgarh to Dhansa Bus Stand[99] (which opened on 18 September 2021). Phase IV, with six lines totaling 103.93km (64.58mi), was finalized in July 2015. Of this, 61.679km (38.326mi) across three lines (priority corridors) with 45 stations was approved by the government of India for construction on 7 March 2019. The Golden Line was lengthened in October 2020, making the project 65.1km (40.5mi) long. It is planned to be completed by 2025.[195][196]
Trains operate at a frequency of one to two minutes to five to ten minutes between 05:00 and 00:00, depending upon peak and off-peak hours. They typically travel up to 75km/h (47mph), and stop for about 20 seconds at each station. Automated station announcements are in Hindi and English. Many stations have ATMs, food outlets, cafés, convenience stores and mobile recharge. Eating, drinking, smoking, and chewing gum are prohibited. The metro has a sophisticated fire alarm system for advance warning in emergencies, and fire retardant material is used in trains and stations.[198] Navigation information is available on Google Maps.[199] Since October 2010, the first coach of every train is reserved for women; the last coach is also reserved when the train changes tracks at the terminal stations on the Red, Green and Violet Lines.[200][201] The mobile Delhi Metro Rail app has been introduced for iPhone and Android users with information such as the location of the nearest metro station,[202] fares, parking availability, nearby tourist attractions, security and emergency helpline numbers.[203]
Security
Security has been provided by the CISF Unit DMRC since 2007.[204]Closed-circuit cameras monitor trains and stations, and their feeds are monitored by the CISF and Delhi Metro authorities.[205] Over 7,000 CISF personnel have been deployed for security in addition to metal detectors, X-ray baggage-inspection systems, and detection dogs. Eighteen Delhi Metro Rail Police stations have been established, and about 5,200 CCTV cameras have been installed. Each underground station has 45 to 50 cameras, and each elevated station has 16 to 20 cameras. The cameras are monitored by the CISF and the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation.[206]Intercoms are provided in each train car for emergency communication between passengers and the train operator.[207] Periodic security drills are carried out at stations and on trains.[208] The DMRC is considering raising station walls and railings for passenger safety.[209]
Ticketing
A Delhi Metro token
The metro's fares were last revised on 10 October 2017, based on the recommendation of the 4th Fare Fixation Committee in May 2016.[210][211] Metro commuters have five choices for ticket purchases:[212]
RFID token: RFID tokens are valid only for a single journey on the day of purchase. Their value depends on the distance travelled, with fares for a single journey ranging from ₹10 (12¢US) to ₹60 (70¢US). Fares are calculated based on the distance between the origin and destination stations. As of 2024 they are no longer in use.[210]
Smart card: Smart cards are available for longer terms, and are the most convenient for frequent commuters. Valid for ten years from the date of purchase or the date of the last recharge, they are available in denominations of ₹200 (US$2.30) to ₹3,000 (US$35.10). A 10-percent discount is given, with an additional 10-percent discount for off-peak travel.[213] A new card has a ₹50 (59¢US) deposit, refundable on its return before expiry if physically undamaged.[214] For women commuters, the Delhi government unsuccessfully proposed a fare-exemption scheme.[215][216] A common ticketing facility, allowing commuters to use smart cards on Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses and the metro, was introduced on 28 August 2018.[217]
Tourist card: Tourist cards can be used for unlimited travel on the Delhi Metro for short periods of time. There are two kinds of tourist cards, valid for one and three days. The cost of a one-day card is ₹200 (US$2.30) and a three-day card is ₹500 (US$5.90), including a refundable deposit of ₹50 (59¢US) paid at purchase.[218]
National Common Mobility Card: Part of the Indian government's One Nation, One Card policy, the National Common Mobility Card is an inter-operable transport card enabling a user to pay for travel, tolls, shopping and cash.[219][220][221] Enabled through RuPay, the NCMC was commissioned on the Airport Express Line on 28 December 2020.[222] In June 2023, DMRC completed the upgrade of its automatic fare collection (AFC) systems to be compliant with NCMC services.[223][224]Delhi Metro QR ticket
QR code based ticketing: A Delhi Metro QR ticket is a mobile-based ticket allowing travel like a token or recharge card.[225][226] A ticket can be bought online with the RIDLR app. For entry and exit, the QR ticket is scanned at the AFC gates. Similar to mobile-based tickets, paper QR tickets can be bought at a station.[227][228][229]
As the metro has expanded, high ridership on new trains has led to increasing overcrowding and delays.[231][232] To alleviate the problem, eight-coach trains have been introduced on the Yellow and Blue Lines and more-frequent trains have been proposed.[231] Infrequent, overcrowded and erratic feeder bus services connecting stations to nearby localities have also been a concern.[233][234] Although the quality and cleanliness of the Delhi Metro have been praised, rising fares have been criticized; fares are higher than those of the bus services the metro replaced.[23] According to a recent study, Delhi Metro fares are the second-most unaffordable among metros charging less than US$0.5 per ride.[235] Another study finds that Delhi Metro may also have a low ridership problem compared to its size and may not be generating the amount of traffic a metro system generates.[236]
Note that DMRC reports different metrics versus the daily ridership below. DMRC report "daily passenger journeys" - for example, in 2022–23, DMRC reported that average daily passenger journeys were approx 4.63 million per day as compared to 5.16 million per day in 2019-20 (pre-Covid).[242]
Metro service was suspended on 25 March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[243] Operations resumed on 12 September 2020,[244] and the average daily ridership fell to 8.78 lakh (0.88 million) in FY 2020–21.[245]
The maximum daily ridership (passenger journeys) of 7.109 million was reported on 13 February 2024.[246]
^ From 2019 onwards the DMRC changed the ridership calculation to count every trip taken by a passenger on a line. This means that a passenger that takes 2 connections will count 3 times towards ridership. This is different from the more standard practice of counting entire journeys applied in other metro systems.[248]
Finances
Summary financials
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The Delhi Metro has been operating with a loss in EBT (earnings before taxes) since 2010, although the loss has shrunk since 2015–16. Its EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) declined from 73 percent in FY 2007 to 27 percent in FY 2016–17 before improving to 30 percent in 2017–18. The metro began a naming policy for stations in 2014, awarded by an open e-tendering process, to generate non-fare revenue.[267][268][269]
Funding and Capitalisation
DMRC is owned by the government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi and the government of India. Total debt was ₹291.5 billion (US$3.4billion) in March 2016, and equity capital was ₹239.9 billion (US$2.8billion). The cost of the debt is zero percent for Union Government and Delhi Government loans, and from 0.01 and 2.3 percent for Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) loans. On 31 March 2016, ₹193.1 billion (US$2.3billion) was paid-up capital; the rest is reserves and surplus.[258]
Some depots, such as Shastri Park and Yamuna Bank, are near their respective at-grade station complexes; others, such as Sarita Vihar and Mundka, are joined indirectly to the main line. The Najafgarh depot is unique in housing trains from the Blue and Grey Lines; the Sarita Vihar depot will house Violet and Golden Line trains in the future. The Phase III Kalindi Kunj and Vinod Nagar depots were built differently due to land-acquisition issues; the former has an extra elevated stabling yard adjacent to the Jasola Vihar - Shaheen Bagh station, and the latter has two sub-depots (one with two floors). An elevated stabling yard was also built adjacent to the Noida Electronic City station, but it is not considered a depot. As part of Phase IV, the Mukundpur depot will be expanded to accommodate the Pink and Magenta Lines[270][271] without land-acquisition issues.[272]
The metro has two rail gauges. Phase I lines have 5ft6in (1,676mm)broad gauge rolling stock, and three Phase II lines have 1,435mm (4ft8+1⁄2in) rolling stock.[274] Trains are maintained at seven depots at Khyber Pass and Sultanpur for the Yellow Line, Mundka for the Green Line, Najafgarh and Yamuna Bank for the Blue Line, Shastri Park for the Red Line, and Sarita Vihar for the Violet Line.[275][276]Maglev trains were considered for some Phase III lines, but DMRC decided to continue with conventional rail in August 2012.[277]
By 31 March 2015, the company had a total of 1,306 coaches (220 trains). In addition to line extensions, two new lines (7 and 8) were proposed in Phase III. Unattended train operation (UTO) will be in 486 coaches (81 six-car trains). An additional 258 broad-gauge (BG) coaches for Lines 1 to 4 and 138 standard-gauge (SG) coaches for Lines 5 and 6 were proposed. At the end of Phase III, there would be 2,188 coaches (333 trains). Except for a few four-car trains on Line 5, 93 percent of the trains would have a six- or eight-car configuration at the end of Phase III.[257]
Broad gauge
Rolling stock is provided by two major suppliers. Phase I rolling stock was supplied by a consortium of companies (Hyundai Rotem, Mitsubishi Corporation, and MELCO). The coaches look similar to the MTR Rotem EMU, but have only four doors; sliding doors, instead of plug doors, are used. The coaches were initially built in South Korea by Rotem,[276] then in Bangalore by BEML through a technology transfer arrangement.[278] The trains consist of four lightweight 3.2-metre-wide (10ft 6in) stainless-steel coaches with vestibules (permitting movement throughout them) and can carry up to 1,500 passengers,[279] with 50 seated and 330 standing passengers per coach.[280] The coaches are air-conditioned, equipped with automatic doors, microprocessor-controlled brakes and secondary air suspension,[281] and can maintain an average speed of 32km/h (20mph) over a distance of 1.1km (0.68mi).[280] The system is extendable to eight coaches, and platforms have been designed accordingly.[279]
Phase II rolling stock is supplied by Bombardier Transportation, which received an order for 614 cars at a cost of about US$1.1 billion.[282] Although the initial trains were made in Görlitz, Germany and Sweden, the remainder will be built at Bombardier's factory in Savli (near Vadodara).[283] The four- and six-car trains have a capacity of 1,178 and 1,792 commuters each, respectively. Coaches have closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras with eight-hour backup, chargers for cell phones and laptops, and improved climate control.[284]
Standard gauge
Standard-gauge rolling stock is manufactured by BEML at its factory in Bangalore, and most of these trains are supplied to BEML by Hyundai Rotem. The four-car trains have a capacity of 1,506 passengers,[285] accommodating 50 seated and 292 standing passengers in each coach.[280] The trains, with CCTV cameras in and outside the coaches, chargers for mobile phones and laptops, improved climate control and microprocessor-controlled disc brakes,[286] will be capable of maintaining an average speed of 34km/h (21mph) over a distance of 1.1km (0.68mi).[280]
Airport Express
Eight six-car trains supplied by CAF Beasain were imported from Spain.[287] CAF held five-percent equity in the DAME project, and Reliance Infrastructure held the remaining 95 percent[288] before DMRC took over operations. Trains on this line have noise reduction and padded fabric seats. Coaches are equipped with LCD screens for entertainment and flight information. Trains have an event recorder which can withstand high levels of temperature and impact, and wheels have a flange-lubrication system for reduced noise and improved comfort.[200]
The metro uses cab signaling with a centralised automatic train control system consisting of automatic operation, protection and signaling modules.[289] A 380MHz digital trunked TETRA radio communication system from Motorola Solutions is used on all lines to carry voice and data information.[290] For the Blue Line, Siemens supplied the electronic interlocking Sicas, the Vicos OC 500 operation-control system and the LZB 700 M automation-control system.[291] An integrated system with optical fibre cable, on-train radio, CCTV, and a centralised clock and public address system is used for telecommunication during normal operations and emergencies.[292]Alstom supplied the signaling system for the Red and Yellow Lines, and Bombardier Transportation supplied its CITYFLO 350 signaling system for the Green and Violet Lines.
The Airport Express line introduced WiFi service at all its stations on 13 January 2012.[293] Connectivity in trains is expected in the future. WiFi service is provided by YOU Broadband and Cable India.[294] In August 2017, Wifi service began at all the 50 stations of the Blue Line.[295] A fully-automated, operator-less train system was offered to the metro by the French technology firm Thales.[296]
Environment and aesthetics
A rooftop solar-power system at the Anand Vihar metro station
The metro has received awards for environmentally-friendly practices from organisations including the United Nations,[297]RINA,[298] and the International Organization for Standardization;[298] it is the second metro in the world, after the New York City Subway, to be ISO 14001 certified for environmentally-friendly construction.[299] By March 2023, 64 metro stations, four sections on the central verge between piers, and 12 other Phase I and II locations on the network have rainwater harvesting for environmental protection;[300][301] all 27 Phase-IV elevated stations will also harvest rainwater, and 52 recharge pits are being constructed for this purpose.[302] It is the world's first railway project to earn carbon credits after being registered with the United Nations under the UN's Clean Development Mechanism,[303] and has earned 400,000 carbon credits with the regenerative braking systems on its trains.[304]
The metro has been promoted as an integral part of community infrastructure, and artwork depicting the local way of life has been displayed at stations.[23]:284 Students at local art colleges have designed murals at metro stations,[309] and the viaduct pillars of some elevated sections have been decorated with mosaic murals created by local schoolchildren.[310] The metro station at INA Colony has a gallery of artwork and handicrafts from across India,[311] and all stations on the Central Secretariat– Qutub Minar section of the Yellow Line have panels depicting Delhi's architectural heritage.[312] The Nobel Memorial Wall at Rajiv Chowk has portraits of the seven Indian Nobel laureates: Rabindranath Tagore, CV Raman, Hargobind Khorana, Mother Teresa, Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, Amartya Sen and Venkatraman Ramakrishnan.
1 2 Transfer stations are counted more than once. There are 24 transfer stations. If transfer stations are counted once, the result is 231 stations. Ashok Park Main station, where the two branches of the Green Line share tracks and platforms, is counted as one station. Noida Metro and Gurgaon Metro stations are not counted; if they were, the result would be 288 stations.[11][1][6]
1 2 Based on line utilisation, which counts transit lines used for a single journey.
The Red Line is a rapid transit metro line of the Delhi Metro in Delhi, India. It is mostly an elevated line and has 29 stations that runs from Rithala to Shaheed Sthal with a total distance of 34.55 km. The Tis Hazari – Shahdara section of this line was the first stretch of the Delhi Metro that was constructed and commissioned. The line connects the areas of Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh and the districts of Shahdara, Central Delhi and North West Delhi in Delhi.
The Blue Line is a rapid transit metro line of the Delhi Metro in Delhi, India. Predominantly elevated, it is the longest line on the network and consists of a Main Line(Line 3) with 50 stations from Noida Electronic City to Dwarka Sector 21, spanning a length of 56.11 kilometres, and a Branch Line(Line 4) consisting of 8 stations from Vaishali to Yamuna Bank, with a length of 8.51 kilometres.
Delhi has significant reliance on its transport infrastructure. The city has developed a highly efficient public transport system with the introduction of the Delhi Metro, which is undergoing a rapid modernization and expansion since 2006. There are 16.6 million registered vehicles in the city as of 30 June 2014, which is the highest in the world among all cities, most of which do not follow any pollution emission norm, while the Delhi metropolitan region has 11.2 million vehicles. Delhi and NCR lose nearly 42 crore man-hours every month while commuting between home and office through public transport, due to the traffic congestion. Therefore, serious efforts, including a number of transport infrastructure projects, are under way to encourage usage of public transport in the city.
Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) is a centre-state joint venture that operates the Delhi Metro and Noida Metro. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation is also involved in the planning and implementation of metro rail, monorail, and high-speed rail projects in India, and abroad. The work of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation is fragmented into various parts which are controlled by directors under the direction of a managing director.
The Airport Express Line or Orange Line is a Delhi Metro line from New Delhi to Yashobhoomi Dwarka Sector - 25, linking Indira Gandhi International Airport. The total length of the line is 22.7 km (14.1 mi), of which 15.7 km (9.8 mi) is underground and 7.0 km (4.3 mi), from Buddha Jayanti Park to Mahipalpur, elevated.
The Violet Line is a rapid transit metro line of the Delhi Metro in Delhi, India. The line connects Kashmere Gate station in New Delhi with Raja Nahar Singh in Ballabhgarh via Faridabad. The line consists of 34 metro stations with a total length of 46.34 kilometres (28.79 mi).
The Mayur Vihar Phase-1 metro station serves as an interchange station between the Blue Line and the Pink Line of Delhi Metro. This station, located in East Delhi, connects the Mayur Vihar area and is within walking distance of Mayur Vihar Pocket-I and Pocket-IV.
Anand Vihar is an interchange metro station located on the Blue and Pink lines of the Delhi Metro. Anand Vihar served as the terminus of the Blue line until July 13, 2011. The station is situated in the locality of Anand Vihar, near the interstate border between Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, and functions as a major connectivity hub for East Delhi. It is seamlessly integrated with the Anand Vihar ISBT and the Anand Vihar Terminal of Indian Railways. The upcoming RapidX station at Anand Vihar will further enhance connectivity, providing faster transit options to neighbouring cities and boosting intermodal transportation links in the region.
The Kirti Nagar metro station is an interchange station between the Blue Line and Green Line of Delhi Metro. It is one of the eastward terminal stations of the Green Line, the other being Inderlok, and was opened as a part of a small 3.41 km (2.12 mi) branch from this station to Ashok Park Main station on 27 August 2011. This allowed passengers to easily transfer between the Red Line and Blue Line of the network.
Vaishali is an elevated metro station located on the branch line of the Blue Line of the Delhi Metro in Trans-Hindon area of Ghaziabad. It serves the Ghaziabad suburbs of Vaishali, Vasundhara, Maharajpur, Indirapuram, Khora and other nearby neighborhoods and areas.
The Delhi Aerocity metro station is located on the Delhi Airport Express Line of the Delhi Metro. This station is located near the National Highway 8. While the Airport Express Line was opened on 23 February 2011, this station was not opened to the public until Independence Day, Monday 15 August 2011, to allow a buildup of demand.
The Noida Metro is a rapid transit system serving the twin cities of Noida and Greater Noida in Uttar Pradesh, India. The metro network consists of one line, with a total length of 29.7 kilometres (18.5 mi) serving 21 stations. The system has all elevated stations using standard-gauge tracks.
The Pink Line is a metro rail line of the Delhi Metro, a rapid transit system in Delhi, India. It consists of 38 metro stations from Majlis Park to Shiv Vihar, both in North Delhi.
The Magenta Line is a metro rail line of the Delhi Metro, a rapid transit system in Delhi, India and the first driverless metro in India. The line, which trundles across South Delhi and is majorly underground, spans 37.46 kilometers (23.28 mi) and consists of 25 metro stations: 10 are elevated and the rest are underground. Unlike the Airport Metro Express, this line directly serves Terminal 1 of the Indira Gandhi International Airport.
The Naraina Vihar metro station is an underground station on the Pink Line of Delhi Metro. A part of Phase 3, it serves Naraina Vihar, Naraina Village and the industrial areas of Shadipur and Loha Mandi along with parts of Mayapuri, and was opened to the public on 14 March 2018.
Bijwasan railway station, on Delhi–Jaipur line lies immediate southwest of Delhi's main airport the IGI Airport, in Bijwasan in South Delhi in India. The station, part of Delhi Suburban Railway, is being upgraded to the world class regional multimodal interchange for the IGI airport by 2024. It will connect to the Haryana Orbital Rail Corridor in south at Patli railway station. It will be the major railway connectivity hub for the IGI Airport along with the Aerocity connectivity hub.
The Grey Line is a line of the Delhi Metro that connects Dwarka to Dhansa Bus Stand located in Najafgarh in the western part of Delhi, India. The total length of the line is 5.19 kilometers (3.22 mi). It is the shortest line on the entire network.
The Delhi Metroneo is a planned 19.09 km (11.86 mi) Metrolite system with 21 stations that will connect Kirti Nagar to Bamnoli Village via Mayapuri, Hari Nagar, Tihar Jail, Dwarka Sector 2, Sector 7, Sector 6, Sector 20, and Sector 23, and the Dwarka ECC.Earlier the corridor was planned as a Metrolite but in November 2020, the project was cancelled, replacing the corridor with Metro Neo by the DMRC officials. It will be designed as per MoHUA's Metrolite specifications, and will be much cheaper to construct because of its lower speeds and carrying capacities compared to regular metros. Detailed Project Report (DPR) for this line was approved by DMRC's board in October 2019, and is currently awaiting the Delhi Government's approval.
The Golden Line(Line 10 & Line 11) 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 (16.04 mi) 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.
↑ CAG of India (2008). Chapter 3, Selection of Technologies – Implementation of Phase I of Delhi Mass Rapid Transit System by DMRC Limited (Report No. PA 17 of 2008)(PDF) (Report). p.2. Retrieved 27 December 2023. Based on their engineering judgment, the management had informed (December 2003) the MoUD that the adoption of the BG had resulted in an additional cost of Rs. 260 crore (Annexure II). The company also anticipated additional energy consumption of Rs. 2.26 crore per annum (Annexure III) due to adoption of the BG rolling stock and as such has decided to adopt the SG for all new lines in Phase II except for the extensions of the existing lines.
1 2 "Funding". delhimetrorail.com. Delhi Metro Rail Corporation. 5 April 2019. Retrieved 12 January 2022. Phase III: The total estimated expenditure for Phase III expansion is Rs. 41,079 crores.
↑ Chitlangia, Risha (3 December 2021). "Delhi Metro ridership only half of the figure projected by DMRC: CAG report". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 12 January 2022. The CAG report said pointed out that the DMRC had projected an average daily ridership in the entire network (phases I, II and III) would rise to 53.47 lakh in 2019-20 but the actual ridership was only around 27.79 lakh (51.97% of the projected figure). The report also claimed that DMRC had projected daily ridership of around 20.89 lakhs in the four Phase III corridors in 2019-20 but the actual ridership was just 4.38 lakh.
↑ "Completion targets of Metro Phase-4 will depend on Covid-19 scenario: DMRC". Hindustan Times. 20 June 2021. Retrieved 11 January 2022. "DMRC is currently engaged in the construction of 65 kilometers of new lines across three priority corridors as part of its Phase 4 expansion. These corridors are expected to be completed by 2025. However, given the fact that the Covid-19 scenario is still evolving, the completion targets shall be reviewed accordingly," said Anuj Dayal, executive director, of corporate communications, DMRC.
↑ "Completion targets of Metro Phase-4 will depend on Covid-19 scenario: DMRC". Hindustan Times. 20 June 2021. Retrieved 11 January 2022. "DMRC is currently engaged in the construction of 65 kilometers of new lines across three priority corridors as part of its Phase 4 expansion. These corridors are expected to be completed by 2025. However, given the fact that the Covid-19 scenario is still evolving, the completion targets shall be reviewed accordingly," said Anuj Dayal, executive director, corporate communications, DMRC.
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