Objectives | Delhi Metro Details | Fare | Red Line | Yellow Line | Blue Line | Green Line | Orange Line | Pink Line | Magenta Line | Grey Line | Proposed Plan | Impact Of Extension | FAQ

Delhi Metro is one of the most preferred and convenient methods of conveyance in the capital city. Endless people use the metro every day to commute from one place to the other. The Delhi metro has been offering the right connectivity inside the whole stretch of Delhi and also to some of the neighbouring places as well including Gurgaon, Noida, and more. A whole lot of articulate planning went into the designing of the Delhi metro route. The underlying idea was to make sure that none of the important areas was left behind.

Key Objectives

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation has listed some of the key objectives behind its metro rail project. Here are some of the salient points.

  • To extensively cover the whole of Delhi and even the adjoining areas with a well-established metro network
  • To offer the best transportation system that is safe, reliable, responsive, timely, and offers top-notch quality standards
  • To serve even the differently abled people with ease and passion
  • To make the metro sustainable
  • To make the metro affordable and easy to use for all

The Footfall

Back in October 2021, the average daily footfall for Delhi Metro was listed to be over 28 lakhs. This is an indicator of the utility and the popularity of the Delhi Metro as a means of conveyance. The number took a sharp dip during the covid times and now as many as 6 to 7 lakh passengers still travel by metro every day. During the peak hours, the metro tends to get very crowded and this is why people were a little sceptical of travelling via it during the Covid times.

The Metro Details

The Metro is operated by Delhi Metro Rail Corporation. It is still expanding and is one of the few government-owned bodies that seem to make substantial profits. There are plans underway to add new routes to the metro so that it can connect a larger number of people.

It happens to be the best and the largest metro rail system in India. The metro network is being commissioned in phases and so it is in expansion mode.

By March 2022, phases 1, 2, and 3 have been completed. The phase 4 expansion is ongoing and it is likely to get over by the year 2026. The Kolkata metro remains the oldest system and the Delhi metro is the second oldest system in India.

The Delhi Metro is currently operational on 9 routes and along with this, it also has an airport express line.

The Metro Fare

The Delhi Metro fare is charged based on the distance travelled.

DistanceFare (Rs.)
Up to 2 km10
Greater than 2 and less than 5 km20
Greater than 5 and less than 12 km30
Greater than 12 and less than 21 km40
Greater than 21 and less than 32 km50
Greater than 32 km60
Rapid metro connecting Delhi to Gurgaon20

The above fares apply from Monday to Saturday. On Sundays and national holidays, the fare charged (above distances of 2 km) is less by Rs. 10

There are different colour-coded metro lines and based on the colour of the lines, the routes of the metro have been allotted accordingly. The different lines were commenced on varying dates as and when they were part of the expansion plan. Some of them got an extension while some completed their phase.

The Metro Lines

Metro Line 1: The Red Line

The red line was the first line that was commissioned. Here are some of the details about the red line.

  • This metro runs from Rithala to Shaheed Sthal in Ghaziabad.
  • The metro covers as many as a total of 29 stations
  • The red line metro connects with several other lines like Yellow, Violet, Green, and Pink

The Line 2: Yellow Line

  • This is the second metro line operational in Delhi
  • The yellow line is the first Delhi metro line to replace the four coaches with six or eight configuration ones
  • It connects Samyapur Badli in Delhi to the Huda City Centre in Gurgaon.
  • The length of this line is 49 km
  • It connects with several other metro lines including the airport express line as well
  • It passes as many as 37 stations

The Lines 3 and 4: Blue Line

  • The blue line covers both lines 3 and 4.
  • Line 3 connects Noida electronic city to Dwarka Sector 21
  • Line 4 connects Vaishali to Yamuna bank
  • Line 3 has a net distance length of 56 km
  • Line 4 has a net distance lent of 8.7 km
  • Line 3 covers a net total of 50 metro stations
  • The Delhi metro line 4 covers a total of 8 stations

Line 5: Green Line

  • The green line of the Delhi Metro connects the Inderlok area to the Brigadier Hoshiar Singh Station.
  • The length of this green line is 29.64 km
  • It covers as many as 23 different stations
  • There is a proposed extension plan in place that will connect this channel to Rohtak by 2025

The Line 6: Airport Line: The Orange Line

  • The airport line has been operational since June 2013
  • This line is famous as it connects the airport to the railway station
  • This line has been applauded for significantly cutting down the time between the two travelling points
  • The length of this line is 22.7 km
  • There are a total of 6 stations for this line

Line 7: The Pink Line

  • This line is the longest metro line in Delhi
  • The line is also known as the ring road line because it passes through the famous and busy ring road of Delhi
  • The length of this line is a whopping 58.43 km
  • This line starts from Maujpur – Babarpur and continues till Shiv Vihar
  • It has a whopping 47 stations in between

The Line 8: The Magenta Line

  • This is the first driverless metro line running in India
  • It also serves the Terminal 1 of Indira Gandhi International Airport directly
  • This line runs from Janakhpuri West to the Botanical Garden Station in Noida
  • The length of this line is 37.46 km
  • This metro has 48 stations in between

The Line 9: The Grey Line

  • The grey line is the shortest in the Delhi Metro System 
  • It only runs through four stations
  • The length of this metro is 4.2 km
  • This is the latest entry in the metro station network
  • It only covers Dwarka, Nangali, Najafgarh, and the Dhansa Bus Stand

The Proposed And Under Construction Delhi Metro Lines

Several other metro lines have been proposed and some of them are already in their construction phase. Some of the existing lines will have more stations added to them and therefore the length will be increased.

The key reason why this is being done is to make sure that whenever anyone wants to commute from one station to another, they won’t find any gaps in between. There is no denying the fact that metros offer a seamless way to move from one part of the city to the other.

If the network isn’t well established and there are gaps in between, it is likely to disrupt the whole system and can cause a lot of unwanted fuss. 

At the same time, extending a line and setting a metro rail track isn’t very convenient. One has to take into account several important factors and only then, one will be able to set the network.

The feasibility analysis has to be done, the other existing conventions need to be studied, and there are other parameters too. Budgeting can often be a huge concern. So, there is a dedicated team in place that constantly works round the clock. Their role is to ascertain where the lines can be extended, the areas that aren’t well connected, and the possible changes that can be brought for the good.

The magenta, silver, and pink line extension are already in their construction phase as their plans have been approved.  There are several other lines for which the plans have been submitted but the approval hasn’t come as of now.

The Delhi Metro Extension Plan: Scope And Impact

Delhi metro
Source: Rohit Gangwar / Pexels

A lot of plans for the extension have been proposed currently. Three lines have got approval, but the rest may also be approved in due course of time.

The main aim behind this constant extension is to make commuting easier.

Also, Delhi needs to be well connected with Noida and Gurugram simply because a lot of Delhiites have a job in the neighbouring areas. Until and unless the city has strong and well-connected networks, it is hard for such people to do to and fro from their homes to their offices and vice versa.

Having more metro lines is likely to ease the heavily congested Delhi traffic too. As more and more people choose the metro for commuting, the number of vehicles on the road will decrease.

A decrease in road vehicles could also see better air quality owing to less pollution. Delhi is currently struggling with air pollution levels for a long time now.

The travel time will be significantly reduced with a system of a well-connected metro network.

The real estate sector is likely to see a bigger boom. When the transportation network is well established, more people want to move to the city. This will create demand for housing and therefore real estate could see good days again.

FAQ

Is the Delhi metro operational for 24 hours?

No, it operates from 5 in the morning till 11 30 in the night

Who is the head of the Delhi metro?

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation runs the Delhi Metro service

Is the Delhi metro a profitable body?

Yes, it is one of the few government bodies that has been making profits for the government

Does the metro run even on Sundays?

Yes, the metro runs even on Sundays

Is the fare different on Sunday?

Yes, Sundays have slightly reduced fares. The fare is also reduced on national holidays.

Which was the first metro line in Delhi?

The red line was the first line in the Delhi metro

How many routes are open in the Delhi metro?

There are currently nine operational routes