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27 Years of Delhi Metro
Anniversary Special 27 Years of Delhi Metro…
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The Delhi Metro has been instrumental in ushering in a new era in the sphere of mass urban transportation in India. The swanky and modern Metro system introduced comfortable, air conditioned and eco-friendly services for the first time in India and completely revolutionized the mass transportation scenario not only in the National Capital Region but the entire country.
Having constructed a massive network of about 389 Km with 285 stations (including NOIDA-Greater NOIDA Corridor and Rapid Metro, Gurugram) in record time in Delhi, NCR, the DMRC today stands out as a shining example of how a mammoth technically complex infrastructure project can be completed before time and within budgeted cost by a Government agency.
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Limited (DMRC) was registered on 3rd May 1995 under the Companies Act, 1956 with equal equity participation of the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) and the Central Government to implement the dream of construction and operation of a world- class Mass Rapid Transport System (MRTS). The DMRC opened its first corridor between Shahdara and Tis Hazari on 25th December, 2002. Subsequently, the first phase of construction worth 65 kilometres of Metro lines was finished two years and nine months ahead of schedule in 2005. Since then the DMRC has also completed the construction of another 125 kilometres of Metro corridors under the second phase in only four and a half years.
Presently, the Delhi Metro network consists of about 389 Km with 285 stations. The network has now crossed the boundaries of Delhi to reach NOIDA and Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh, Gurgaon, Faridabad, Bahadurgarh and Ballabhgarh in Haryana. With the opening of the Majlis Park to Shiv Vihar and Janakpuri West - Botanical Garden Sections, new age trains equipped with the Unattended Train Operation (UTO) technology have been introduced. These trains operate with the Communication Based Train Control (CBTC) signaling technology which facilitate movement of trains in very short frequencies. This network also includes the Noida - Greater Noida Aqua Line. The Aqua Line has been constructed by DMRC on behalf of the Noida Metro Rail Corporation and is also being operated by DMRC currently. In addition, the 11.6 kilometre long Rapid Metro also connects with the Delhi Metro network at Sikanderpur station of Yellow Line. The Rapid Metro provides connectivity within the satellite city of Gurugram.
The Airport Express link between the Indira Gandhi International Airport and New Delhi has now propelled Delhi to the league of global cities which have high speed rail connectivity between the city and the airport. The DMRC today has over 300 train sets of four, six and eight coaches.
The Delhi Metro has also contributed tremendously on the environment front by becoming the first ever railway project in the world to claim carbon credits for regenerative braking. DMRC has also been certified by the United Nations (UN) as the first Metro Rail and Rail based system in the world to get carbon Credits for reducing Green House gas emissions as it has helped to reduce pollution levels in the city by 6.3 lakh tons every year thus helping in reducing global warming.
It has also set up roof top solar power plants at many of its stations. All stations of the presently under construction corridors are being constructed as green buildings. In the present phase of Delhi Metro’s construction, the DMRC has completed 160 kilometres of Metro lines which has woven a web of Metro corridors along the city’s Ring Road besides connecting with many other localities in NOIDA, Ghaziabad, Bahadurgarh and Ballabhgarh.
Apart from providing Delhites with a comfortable public transport option, the Delhi Metro is also contributing significantly towards controlling pollution as well as reducing vehicular congestion on the roads.
Future expansion plans: Remaining corridors of Phase III and corridors of Phase IV
Delhi Metro Rail Corporation is now looking forward to a further expansion of about 107 km under Phase IV with an objective to bring small stretches and unconnected areas of Delhi on the Metro map. The proposed Phase IV consists of the following Corridors:
Corridors already approved (Sanctioned 61.68 km and after realignment 65.10 km): • Majlis Park – Maujpur (Pink Line Ext.) having route length of 12.56 km
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• Janakpuri West – R. K. Ashram (Magenta Line Ext.) having route length of 28.92 km • Aerocity – Tughlakabad having route length of 23.62 km
The works of elevated portion have been awarded and the construction work formally started on 30th December, 2019 & the work is in progress. The works for the underground portion will be awarded after concurrence of loan by JICA, which is in process. The Phase IV platform of Haiderpur Badli Mor which will come up above the Phase III station will be the highest ever platform in Delhi Metro at a height of 24.66 meters.
Corridors under approval:
• Inderlok – Indraprashtha having route length of 12.57 km • Lajpat Nagar – Saket G Block having route length of 07.96 km • Rithala – Narela having route length of 21.73 km
Metrolite
There are plans to develop Rithala – Narela corridor as a light Metro Rail system known as ‘Metrolite’, which may be a more viable option for less populated areas with adequate land available.
Some of the proposed new initiatives in the area of the project in Phase IV are single pier system in place of threelegged frame construction for stations to the maximum possible extent; Integrated flyover, for road traffic with metro viaduct using double-decker construction supported on single pier system, etc. These will result in reduced cost & time and minimal disruption to the public.
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Year-wise progress
Delhi Metro Rail Present Operational Network
Line Length (km) Stations Terminals
#1 34.69 29 Shaheed Sthal - Rithala
#2 49.31 37 Samaypur Badli – HUDA City Centre
#3 56.61 50 Noida Electronic City –Dwarka Sector 21
#4 8.74 8 Yamuna Bank - Vaishali
#5 29.64 23 Inderlok/Kirti Nagar –Brigadier Hoshiyar Singh
#6 46.63 34 Kashmere Gate – Raja Nahar Singh
#7 57.58 38 Majlis Park – Shuv Vihar
#8 37.46 25 Botanical Garden –Janakpuri West
#9 4.30 3 Dwarka - Najafgarh
#AP 22.70 6 New Delhi – Dwarka Sector 21
Total 347.66 253
Project Cost & Funding
Phase Project Cost (Rs) Funding by
I 10,571 crore Govt. of India, Govt. of Delhi and JICA
II 18,783 crore Govt. of India, Govt. of Delhi , Govt. of Haryana, Govt. of Uttar Pradesh and JICA
III 41,079 crore Govt. of India, Govt. of Delhi , Govt. of Uttar Pradesh and JICA
IV 24,949 crore Govt. of India, Govt. of Delhi and JICA
Fact File
• Delhi Metro is Country’s largest and World’s sixth largest metro rail network after Seoul, Shanghai,
Beijing, London and New York. • The United Nations has certified the DMRC as the first metro and rail-based system that gets carbon credits for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. • Delhi Metro is country’s first metro system that introduced Driverless operation partially.
Technology Absorption/‘Make in India’ initiative of the Govt. of India
Delhi Metro has always placed great emphasis for increased indigenization with highest quality standards in rolling stock resulting in a boost to local manufacturing, capital investment and generation of employment opportunities. As a result, vendor base for critical spares has been developed with provision of tender conditions mandating manufacture 75% of ordered quantity of rolling stock within India, and mandatory sourcing of certain items from India.
Further, efforts made towards indigenization of Signaling sub-systems have resulted in local sourcing of large number of equipment viz. cables, depot point machines, LEDbased signals, route indicators, junction boxes for point machines and signals cable distribution cubicles, electronic key transmitter box, emergency stop plunger, large video screen at Operation Control Centre, automatic push button, push fit couplers, high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipes, etc. Most of the equipments procured for passengers announcement, passengers display & master clock systems viz. amplifiers, audio matrix, display panels (TFT & LED), indoor and outdoor clocks, etc. provided in Phase III have been manufactured in India and sourced from Indian firms.
Further, Delhi Metro is concentrating on indigenising a number of critical imported spares used for manufacturing as well as operations of trains viz. use of 3D printing technology for spares used in trains; some of the PAC items were revoked after indigenization, etc.
Communication Based Train Control (CBTC) System with Driverless/Unattended Train Operations (DTO/ UTO) functionality has been implemented on Line-7 & Line-8 of Phase III project. Platform Screen Doors with associated signaling interface were also provided on these lines. In order to facilitate knowledge up-gradation and in-house maintenance of the CBTC based signaling system, necessary training, simulation & laboratory facilities have been set up in Vinod Nagar and Kalindi Kunj depots.
R&D Project
Development of indigenous CBTC (I-CBTC) based signaling system has been taken up as R&D Project. In November, 2019 the Company signed an MOU with Bharat Electricals Limited for development of indigenous signalling technology with an objective to indigenously develop and test Automatic Train Supervision system as per the European Standards mandatory for metro rail application and test it with suitable interfaces with metro sub-system at depot and mainline.
