Get Ready For A Rapid Ride On Delhi Metro

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation's (DMRC) consistent endeavour to improve upon itself is primarily the reason why it is among the rare profit-making and popular public sector units in the country. The network, which handles a daily passenger traffic of over 28 lakh, has seen an annual growth of 17.5 per cent in its ridership over the past five years and still remains in the good books of the commuters.

Now, in a move that would further bolster the efficiency of the network, the DMRC plans to buy 916 new coaches to increase the frequency of trains on various routes. This means the waiting time will be trimmed to three minutes or less after the DMRC procures new coaches between April 2017 and March 2021. A detailed proposal in this regard has been submitted to the Delhi government.

"There is a persistent demand from all quarters that the DMRC shall endeavour to run the trains with best possible frequency to meet the needs of the public transport in the city of Delhi," the DMRC report said. The total cost for the procurement of additional 916 cars, including infrastructure facilities, is estimated at Rs 13,284 crore.

After the purchase is complete, the DMRC will add 102 new trains in its current fleet of 227 and convert its four-coach trains into six-coach trains, and its six-coach trains will be upgraded to eight coaches. Of its 19 stretches, only three offer the frequency of three or less minutes; the new additions are expected to take this number to 14.

According to Press Trust of India report, trains will run every one minute 54 seconds at the Kashmere Gate-Green Park stretch of the Yellow Line, where the frequency is projected to be the highest. The Yellow Line is the busiest Metro stretch that connects Samaypur Badli to Gurgaon's Huda City Centre, and at present offers a frequency between two minutes 13 seconds and eight minutes. The Blue Line that connects Dwarka to Noida City Centre, train frequency will range between two minutes 25 seconds and three minutes 38 seconds.

The rush-hour madness may soon be over, thus, giving Delhiites a much-needed relief.

Want to know more about Delhi's Metro network, read here.