Taking care of the transportation needs of the people of Delhi and satellite towns such as Gurgaon, Faridabad, Noida and Ghaziabad of the National Capital Region, the Delhi Metro offers immense benefits for commuters. Now it is no longer an onerous task to live in these peripheral towns and work in Delhi because Delhi Metro provides a quick, efficient and affordable option of travel.

Delhi is the second city to have a Metro system after Kolkata which had pride of first place and it is the 13th in number in the world with respect to the length that it covers which is 189.63 kms.  

Considering the growing need of an efficient public transportation system to meet the demand of the growing population, the increasing traffic on roads and the increasing levels of pollution in the air, the Delhi Metro first appeared on the drawing board in 1984. It was the DDA or Delhi Development Authority and Urban Arts Commission that together proposed the idea and the Central Government along with the State Government of Delhi mooted it by setting up the DMRC or Delhi Metro rail Corporation in 1995. Work related to land acquisition and elaborate planning started immediately and construction of the first section of the Red Line from Tis Hazari to Shahdara was completed by 2002 to cover a distance of 8.3 kms with six stations. After this the Metro extended the Red Line from Tis hazari to IndraLok and further to Rithala and from Shahdara to Dilshad Garden across the Yamuna.

More routes were developed and the Yellow Line followed by the Blue Line and closely followed by the Green and Violet Lines started. The Airport Express Line finally opened in 2011.   

The rolling stock or the carriages of the Metro trains has been acquired from Mitsubishi Rotem, Bombardier and CAF Beasain.   

With the completion of Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the Metro Rail development plan the six Lines of the Metro cover a distance of 190 Kms with 142 stations.

Current Route of Metro

Currently there are 142 Metro Stations on these 6 Lines that cater to more than 25 Lakh passengers daily. All the stations, thirty five of which are underground, five on road level (at grade) and one hundred and two elevated, have world-class facilities such as elevators and escalators, electronic checking of tokens and E-Passes recharging etc. All stations are easily accessible by the handicapped and also have tactile tiles for the convenience of the visually impaired.

The Splendid Metro Connectivity

From the east to the west and from the north to the south and in between and also from the city center to the Indira Gandhi International Airport and beyond to Dwarka, the Delhi Metro carries more than 25 lakh commuters every day. There are interlinking stations from where one can change route from one line to another facilitating movement from almost any place in Delhi to any other from 6 AM to 11 PM. The Airport Express Line runs from 4.45 Am to 11.30 PM.

On the heavier traffic routes and during peak hours there is a train every 2 mins. When the traffic is less and on routes that are not so crowded there is a train once in 6 to 10 minus. Now the number of carriages is also increased from 6 to 8 on heavier traffic routes so that more commuters can avail the facility.

Phase 3 of the Delhi Metro is in full swing and this will add two more Metro Lines and extensions of the current Metro Lines that will bring the satellite towns of Faridabad, Bahadurgarh, Nazafgarh, Ballabhgarh and Greater Noida in the ambit of Delhi Metro and make life easier for those living in these far-off places. There will be Metro Lines on both the Ring Roads and the total distance that will be added is around 107 kms. 

Tips to Remember

The web of Metro lines that are operational along with the many more that are coming up in Phase 3, is soon going to change the way public transport in Delhi is viewed and used. Delhi Metro was planned with an idea to reduce the growing pressure on public transport systems in the city. Road transport and vehicular traffic had grown so much that pollution levels had risen way above normal threatening the health of Delhi citizens.

Now with 6 lines of Delhi Metro and with a daily ridership of more than 25 lakh passengers, the pressure on Delhi roads has eased. The efficient, fast and affordable Metro service is making more and more people opt for this mode of transport.

Also the city has been made more beautiful by well built stations with beautiful mosaic facades. Connaught Place or Rajiv Chowk has a beautiful Central Park that is also used for musical programs. All the stations are well maintained, very clean and world class with escalators and elevators.

The view from the Metro train is spectacular from the elevated carriage ways. Delhi can be seen in its true glory; a vivid mixture of modern city life and historical monuments! Malls, places of entertainment, high rise buildings with offices and residences and also Qutub Minar, India Gate, Parliament House, Rashtrapati Bhawan, Lotus Temple and more.

A ride in Delhi Metro promises you all this and much more.