Delhi Metrois ametrosystem serving Delhi (includingNew DelhiandOld Delhi) and its satellite cities ofGurgaon,Noida,FaridabadandGhaziabadin theNational Capital Regionof India.[8]Delhi Metro is the world's thirteenth largest metro system in terms of length and a member of Nova Group of Metros.[9][10]Delhi Metro is India's third urban mass rapid transport system, after theKolkata MetroandChennai MRTS. It is India's first modern rapid transit system too. As of December 2014, the network consists of five colour-coded lines (Red, Blue, Green, Yellow, Violet), plus a sixthAirport Expressline, with a total length of 193 kilometres (120mi),[1]serving140 stations(with 6 more Airport Express stations),[1]of which 38 are underground, five are at-grade, and the rest are elevated.[11]All stations have escalators, elevators, and tactile tiles to guide the visually impaired from station entrances to trains. It has a combination of elevated, at-grade, and underground lines, and uses bothbroad gaugeandstandard gaugerolling stock. Four types of rolling stock are used:MitsubishiRotem broad gauge,BombardierMovia, Mitsubishi Rotem standard gauge, andCAF Beasainstandard gauge.Delhi Metro Rail CorporationLimited (DMRC), astate-ownedcompany with equal equity participation fromGovernment of Indiaand Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi built and operates the Delhi Metro. However, the organisation is under administrative control of Ministry of Urban Development,Government of India. Besides construction and operation of Delhi Metro, DMRC is also involved in the planning and implementation of metro rail, monorail and high-speed rail projects in India and providing consultancy services to other metro projects in the country as well as abroad.As of November 2014, DMRC operates around 3000 trips daily between 05:30 till 00:00 running with an interval of between 34 minutes between trains at peak frequency.[12][13]The trains are usually of four and six coaches, but due to increase in the number of passengers, eight-coach trains are added on the Yellow Line (Jahangirpuri to HUDA city centre) and Blue line (Dwarka Sector-21 to Noida City Centre/Vaishali).[14]Yellow line being the first one with eight coach trains.[6][7][13][15]The power output is supplied by 25-kilovolt, 50-hertzalternating currentthroughoverhead catenary. The metro has an average daily ridership of 2.4 million commuters, and, as of August 2010, had already carried over 1.25 billion commuters since its inception.[16]The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation has been certified by theUnited Nationsas the first metro rail and rail-based system in the world to get "carbon credits for reducing greenhouse gas emissions" and helping in reducing pollution levels in the city by 630,000 tonnes every year.[17]Planning for the metro started in 1984, when theDelhi Development Authorityand the Urban Arts Commission came up with a proposal for developing a multi-modal transport system for the city. TheGovernment of Indiaand theGovernment of Delhijointly set up the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) registered on 3 May 1995 underThe Companies Act, 1956. Construction started in 1998, and the first section, on theRed Line, opened in 2002, followed by theYellow Linein 2004, theBlue Linein 2005, its branch line in 2009, theGreenandViolet Linesin 2010, and theDelhi Airport Metro Expressin 2011.The recently openedRapid MetroRail Gurgaon, whilst linked to it by the Yellow Line is a separate metro system (with a different owner/operator than the Delhi Metro), although tickets from the Delhi Metro can be used in its network.

Contents[hide]1History1.1Background

1.2Construction

1.3Construction accidents

2Network2.1Current routes2.1.1Red Line

2.1.2Yellow Line

2.1.3Blue Line

2.1.4Green Line

2.1.5Violet Line

2.1.6Airport Express

2.2Planned extensions2.2.1Phase III

2.2.2Phase IV

3Finances3.1Summary Financials

3.2Funding and Capitalization

4Operations4.1Security

4.2Ticketing & Recharge

4.3Problems

4.4Ridership

5Rolling stock5.1Broad gauge

5.2Standard gauge

5.3Airport Express

6Signalling and telecommunication

7Environment and aesthetics

8See also

9Notes

10References

11Further reading

12External links

History[edit]Background[edit]The concept of a mass rapid transit for New Delhi first emerged from a traffic and travel characteristics study which was carried out in the city in 1969.[18]Over the next several years, many official committees by a variety of government departments were commissioned to examine issues related to technology, route alignment, and governmental jurisdiction.[19]In 1984, theDelhi Development Authorityand the Urban Arts Commission came up with a proposal for developing a multi-modal transport system, which would consist of constructing three underground mass rapid transit corridors as well augmenting the city's existingsuburban railwayand road transport networks.[20]While extensive technical studies and the raising of finance for the project were in progress, the city expanded significantly resulting in a twofold rise in population and a fivefold rise in the number of vehicles between 1981 and 1998.[20]Consequently, traffic congestion and pollution soared, as an increasing number of commuters took to private vehicles with the existing bus system unable to bear the load.[18]An attempt at privatising the bus transport system in 1992 merely compounded the problem, with inexperienced operators plying poorly maintained, noisy and polluting buses on lengthy routes, resulting in long waiting times, unreliable service, extreme overcrowding, unqualified drivers, speeding and reckless driving.[21]To rectify the situation, the Government of India and the Government of Delhi jointly set up a company called the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) on 3 May 1995, withE. Sreedharanas the managing director.[22]Dr. E. Sreedharan handed over the charge as MD, DMRC to Shri Mangu Singh on 31 December 2011.Construction[edit]Physical construction work on the Delhi Metro started on 1 October 1998.[23]After the previous problems experienced by theKolkata Metro, which was badly delayed and 12 times over budget due to "political meddling, technical problems and bureaucratic delays", DMRC is a special purpose organization vested with great autonomy and powers to execute this gigantic project involving many technical complexities, under a difficult urban environment and within a very limited time frame. DMRC was given full powers to hire people, decide on tenders and control funds.[24]The DMRC then consulted theHong Kong MTRCon rapid transit operation and construction techniques.[25]As a result, construction proceeded smoothly, except for one major disagreement in 2000, where the Ministry of Railways forced the system to usebroad gaugedespite the DMRC's preference forstandard gauge.[26]The first line of the Delhi Metro was inaugurated byAtal Behari Vajpayee, the thenPrime Minister of India, on 24 December 2002,[27]and thus, it became the second undergroundrapid transit system in India, after theKolkata Metro. The first phase of the project was completed in 2006,[28]on budget and almost three years ahead of schedule, an achievement described byBusiness Weekas "nothing short of a miracle".[29]Construction accidents[edit]On 19 October 2008, a girder launcher and a part of the overhead Blue Line extension under construction in Laxmi Nagar,East Delhicollapsed and fell on passing vehicles underneath. Workers were using a crane to lift a 400-tonne concrete span of the bridge when the launcher collapsed along with a 34-metre (112ft) long span of the bridge on top of a Blueline bus killing the driver and a labourer.[30]On 12 July 2009, a section of bridge collapsed while it was being erected at Zamrudpur, near East of Kailash, on the Central Secretariat Badarpur corridor. Six people died and 15 were injured.[31]The following day, on 13 July 2009, a crane that was removing the debris collapsed, and with a bowling pin effect collapsed two other nearby cranes, injuring six.[32]On 22 July 2009, worker at Ashok Park Metro station was killed when a steel beam fell on him.[33]Over a hundred people, including 93 workers, have died since work on the metro began in 1998.[34]Network[edit]

Network mapMain article:List of Delhi metro stationsThe Delhi Metro is being built in phases. Phase I completed 58 stations and 65.0km (40.4mi) of route length,[35]of which 13.0km (8.1mi) is underground and 52.1km (32.4mi) surface or elevated.[citation needed]The inauguration of theDwarkaBarakhamba Roadcorridor of the Blue Line marked the completion of Phase I on October 2006.[28]Phase II of the network comprises 124.6km (77.4mi) of route length and 85 stations,[35]and is fully completed, with the first section opened in June 2008 and the last line opened in August 2011.[36]Phase III (103km, 69 stations)[5]and Phase IV (113.2km)[5]are planned to be completed by 2016[5]and 2021[citation needed]respectively, with the network spanning 413km (257mi) by then.[citation needed]Current routes[edit]As of October 2014, with the completion of Phase I, Phase II and the beginning of operations on Phase III, the Delhi Metro network comprises six lines (plus the Airport Express line), serving 140 metro stations[37](with 6 more stations on the Airport Express line, for a total of 146), and operating on a total route length of 193 kilometres (120mi).[1]LineFirst operationalLast ExtensionStations[37][38]Length
(km)[38]TerminalsRolling stockGaugePower

Red Line24 December 20024 June 20082125.09Dilshad GardenRithala26 trains[39]1676mm25 kV OHE

Yellow Line20 December 20043 September 20103444.65JahangirpuriHUDA City Centre60 trains[12]1676mm25 kV OHE

Blue Line31 December 200530 October 20104449.93Noida City CentreDwarka Sector 2170 trains[13]1676mm25 kV OHE

7 January 201014 July 201178.74Yamuna BankVaishali1676mm25 kV OHE

Green Line3 April 20101415.14InderlokMundka15 trains[40]1435mm25 kV OHE

27 August 201123.32Ashok Park MainKirti Nagar1435mm25 kV OHE

Violet Line3 October 201026 June 20141823.24Mandi HouseBadarpur30 trains[41]1435mm25 kV OHE

Airport Express (Orange Line)23 February 2011622.70New DelhiDwarka Sector 218 trains1435mm25 kV OHE

TOTAL146192.81

Red Line[edit]

Red LineMain article:Red LineThe Red Line was first line of the Metro to be opened and connectsRithalain the west toDilshad Gardenin the east, covering a distance of 25.09 kilometres (15.59mi).[39]It is partly elevated and partly at grade, and crosses theYamuna RiverbetweenKashmere GateandShastri Parkstations.[42]The inauguration of the first stretch betweenShahdaraandTis Hazarion 24 December 2002 caused the ticketing system to collapse due to the line being crowded to four times its capacity by citizens eager to have a ride.[43][44]Subsequent sections were inaugurated from Tis Hazari Trinagar (later renamedInderlok) on 4 October 2003,[45]Inderlok Rithala on 31 March 2004, and Shahdara Dilshad Garden on 4 June 2008.[46]The red line has two interchange stations, the first being Kashmere Gate with the yellow line and the secondInderlokwith the green line.Starting from 24 November 2013 six coach trains will be inducted in a phased manner in red line.[47]

Yellow LineYellow Line[edit]

Inside a Delhi Metro on the yellow lineMain article:Yellow LineThe Yellow Line was the second line of the Metro and was the first underground line to be opened.[48]It runs for 44.36 kilometres (27.56mi) from north to south and connectsJahangirpuriwithHUDA City CentreinGurgaon. The northern and southern parts of the line are elevated, while the central section through some of the most congested parts of Delhi is underground. The first section betweenVishwa VidyalayaandKashmere Gateopened on 20 December 2004, and the subsequent sections of Kashmere GateCentral Secretariatopened on 3 July 2005, and Vishwa Vidyalaya Jahangirpuri on 4 February 2009.[46]This line also possesses the country'sdeepest Metro station(the second deepest metro station in the world)[49]atChawri Bazaar, situated 30 metres (98ft) below ground level.[50][51]On 21 June 2010, an additional stretch fromQutub Minarto HUDA City Centre was opened, initially operating separately from the main line. However,Chhatarpur stationon this line opened on 26 August 2010. Due to delay in acquiring the land for constructing the station, it was constructed using pre-fabricated structures in a record time of nine months and is the only station in the Delhi metro network to be made completely of steel.[52][53]The connecting link between Central Secretariat and Qutub Minar opened on 3 September 2010.[54]Interchanges are available with theRed LineandKashmere Gate ISBTat Kashmere Gate station, Blue Line at Rajiv Chowk Station, Violet Line at Central Secretariat,Rapid MetroRail Gurgaonat Sikandarpur and with theIndian Railwaysnetwork at Chandni chowkDelhi Junction Railway stationand New DelhiNew Delhi railway stations.[55][56]Yellow line is the first line of Delhi Metro which has phased out all four coach trains with six and eight coach configuration. The Metro Museum at Patel Chowk Metro station is a collection of display panels, historical photographs and exhibits, tracing the genesis of the Delhi Metro. The museum was opened on January 1, 2009.[49]Blue Line[edit]

Blue LineMain article:Blue LineThe Blue Line was the third line of the Metro to be opened, and the first to connect areas outside Delhi.[57]Mainly elevated and partly underground,[58]it connectsDwarka Sub Cityin the west with the satellite city ofNoidain the east, covering a distance of 47.4 kilometres (29.5mi).[57]The first section of this line betweenDwarkaandBarakhamba Roadwas inaugurated on 31 December 2005, and subsequent sections opened between DwarkaDwarka Sector 9on 1 April 2006, Barakhamba RoadIndraprasthaon 11 November 2006, IndraprasthaYamuna Bankon 10 May 2009, Yamuna BankNoida City Centreon 12 November 2009, and Dwarka Sector 9Dwarka Sector 21on 30 October 2010.[46]This line crosses the Yamuna River betweenIndraprasthaand Yamuna Bank stations,[42]and has India's secondextradosed bridgeacross theNorthern Railwaysmainlines nearPragati Maidan.[59]A branch of the Blue line, inaugurated on 8 January 2010, takes off from Yamuna Bank station and runs for 6.25 kilometres (3.88mi) up toAnand Viharin east Delhi.[60]It was further extended up toVaishaliwhich was opened to public on 14 July 2011.[61][62]A small stretch of 2.76 kilometres (1.71mi) fromDwarka Sector 9toDwarka Sector 21was inaugurated on 30 October 2010.[63][64]Interchanges are available with the Yellow Line atRajiv Chowkstation,[58]Green line at Kirti Nagar, Violet line at Mandi House and with the Indian Railways network at theAnand Vihar Railway TerminalandAnand Vihar ISBT.[65]Green Line[edit]Main article:Green LineOpened in 2010, the Green Line was the first standard-gauge corridor of the Delhi Metro.[40]The fully elevated line connectsMundkawithInderlok, running for 15.1 kilometres (9.4mi) mostly along Rohtak Road with a branch line connecting the line's Ashok Park Main station with Kirti Nagar station on the Blue Line. The line consists of 17 stations including an interchange station covering a total length of 18.46km. The line was opened in two stages, with the 15.1km Inderlok - Mundka section opening on 3 April 2010, and the 3.5km Kirti Nagar - Ashok Park Main branch line on 27 August 2011.[66]An interchange with the Red line is available at Inderlok station via an integrated concourse.[67]This line also has the country's first standard-gauge maintenance depot at Mundka.[68]Violet Line[edit]

Violet LineMain article:Violet LineThe Violet Line is the most recent line of the Metro to be opened, and the second standard-gauge corridor after the Green Line. The 23.2km (14.4mi) long line connectsBadarpurto Mandi House, with 9km (5.6mi) being overhead and the rest underground.[41]The first section between Central Secretariat andSarita Viharwas inaugurated on 3 October 2010,that just hours before the inaugural ceremony of the2010 Commonwealth Games, and connects theJawaharlal Nehru Stadium, which was the venue for the opening and closing ceremonies of the event.[69]Completed in just 41 months, it includes a 100m (330ft) long bridge over the Indian Railways mainlines and a 167.5m (550ft) long cable-stayed bridge across an operational road flyover, and connects several hospitals, tourist attractions, and a major industrial estate along its route.[41]Services are provided at intervals of 5 min.[69]An interchange with the Yellow Line is available at Central Secretariat through an integrated concourse.[41]On 14 January 2011, the remaining portion from Sarita Vihar to Badarpur was opened for commercial service, adding three new stations to the network and marking the completion of the line.[70]The most recent section, between Mandi House and Central Secretariat, was opened on 26 June 2014.Airport Express[edit]

The interior of a Delhi Metro Airport Express trainMain article:Delhi Airport Metro ExpressThe Airport Express line runs for 22.7km (14.1mi) fromNew Delhi Railway StationtoDwarka Sector 21, linking theIndira Gandhi International Airport. The line was operated byDelhi Airport Metro Express Pvt. Limited (DAMEL), a subsidiary ofReliance Infrastructure, theconcessionaireof the line till 30 June 2013 and is now being operated by DMRC.[71]The line was constructed at a cost ofINR57 billion(US$890million), of which Reliance Infrastructure investedINR28.85 billion(US$450million) and will pay fees on a revenue-share model.[72]The line has six stations (Dhaula Kuan and Delhi Aerocity became operational on 15 August 2011), with some featuringcheck-in facilities, parking, and eateries.[73]Rolling stock consists of six-coach trains operating at intervals of ten minutes and having a maximum speed of 135km/h (84mph).[73]Originally scheduled to open before the2010 Commonwealth Games, the line failed to obtain the mandatory safety clearance, and was opened on 24 February 2011, after a delay of around 5 months. After 16 months of commencement of operations, the line was shut down for repairs of the viaducts on 8 July 2012.[74][75]The line reopened on 22 January 2013.[76]On 27 June 2013 Reliance Infrastructure Ltd intimated DMRC that they are unable to operate the line beyond 30 June 2013. Following this DMRC took over operations of Airport Express line from 1 July 2013 with an Operations and Maintenance team of 100 officials to handle the line.[77]In Jan 2015, DMRC reported that Airport Metro has recorded about 30 per cent rise in its ridership following the fare reduction of up to 40 per cent in July last year[78]Planned extensions[edit]

Delhi Metro map with Phase I, phase II & proposed phase III routesDelhi Metro was planned to be built in phases spread over around 20 years as with each phase having a target of five years and end of one phase marking the beginning of another. Phase I (65km) and Phase II (125km) were completed in 2006 and 2011, respectively, and Phase III and Phase IV are scheduled for completion in 2016 and 2021, respectively. Work on Phase III started in 2011 while planning for Phase IV has begun. Ex-chief of DMRC hinted that by the time Phase IV is completed, the city will need Phase V to cope with rising population and transport needs.[79]Phase III[edit]Out of 2 new lines and 11 route extensions proposed for Phase III, cabinet approvals have been obtained for 2 new lines and 10 route extensions totaling 167.27km, with an estimated cost ofINR350 billion(US$5.5billion).[80]Construction has already begun on many of these. In April 2014 the Delhi governor gave approval for two further extensions.[81]All the approved lines are:LineStationsLength
(km)TerminalsNo. of interchanges
planned

Yellow Lineextension34.48JahangirpuriBadli0

Violet Lineextension79.36Central SecretariatKashmere Gate2

1113.875BadarpurBallabgarh0

Blue Lineextension45.5DwarkaNajafgarh1

56Noida City CentreNoida Sector 620

Green Lineextension611.182MundkaBahadurgarh0

Pink Linealso called Inner Ring Road Line (Line 7)[82]3858.59MukundpurShiv Vihar11

Magenta Linealso called Outer Ring Road Line (Line 8)2637.25Janakpuri WestBotanical Garden4

Red Lineextension69.6Dilshad GardenNew Bus Stand, Ghaziabad0

Airport Expressextension511.63Dwarka Sector 21IFFCO Chowk1

Total104167.27718

Other than these approved lines, there are several other proposed lines which are awaiting approval for inclusion in Phase III.[83]These line extensions are:LineStationsLength
(km)TerminalsNo. of interchanges
planned

Red Line612RithalaBawana0

Phase III will have 28 underground stations covering 41km.[84]More than 20 tunnel boring machines are expected to be simultaneously used during construction of Phase III.[85]Delhi Metro is expecting a ridership of 4 million after completion of Phase III. DMRC has decided to use communication based train control (CBTC) for signaling which will allow trains to run at a short headway of 90 seconds.[86]Keeping this in mind and other constraints, DMRC changed its decision to build 9 car long stations for new lines and instead opting for shorter stations which can accommodate 6 car trains.For the first time Delhi Metro will construct ring lines in Phase III. Till Phase II, Delhi Metro focused on expanding the reach of metro and thus built long radial lines. However, in Phase III, Delhi Metro is aiming to interconnect existing lines by ring lines to improve connectivity. This will not only help in reducing distances but will also relieve radial lines of some congestion.Phase IV[edit]Phase IV has a 2021 deadline, and tentatively includes further extensions to Sonia Vihar, Burari, Mukundpur, Reola Khanpur, Palam,Najafgarh,Narela, Ghazipur, Noida sector 62, extensions of Violet line, Green line, Line 8, having a total length of over 100km.[35][87][88]There might be some changes in plan before actual construction starts on these lines.Delhi Metro Masterplan 2021. Only those proposed lines are included here which are very likely to get built. Other proposed lines are not included.Apart from these lines in Phases I to IV, plans have been mooted to construct a new line from Noida Sector 62 to Greater Noida which will intersect Indraprastha Noida Sector 32 line.[89]The Ghaziabad Development Authority is planning to extend Delhi Metro lines deeper intoGhaziabadthrough extension of the Blue Line from Vaishali to Mehrauli viaIndirapuram. The independently operatedGurgaon Metro, opened in November 2013, will also interchange with the Delhi Metro atSikandarpurstation on Yellow line.[90]For the year 2012-13, Noida development Authority has allocated Rs 5billion for Metro extension, with City Center Metro line being extended till the crossing of Sector 71 and 72.[91]Finances[edit]Summary Financials[edit]The table below is based on the 2013-14 Annual Report.[92]EBITDA stands for "Earnings before Interest Taxes Depreciation & Amortization"

EBT stands for "Earnings Before Tax"

Of note, Delhi Metro has been operating with a loss on an EBT basis for the past few years. EBITDA margin declined from 73% in Fiscal 2007 to 33% in Fiscal 2014. That said, Debt to Equity improved from 1.43 in FY07 to 1.16 in FY14.FY ending MarchRevenueEBITDA *EBT *

20075.43 billion(US$85million)3.99 billion(US$63million)240 million(US$4million)

20085.04 billion(US$79million)3.00 billion(US$47million)261 million(US$4million)

20097.24 billion(US$114million)4.73 billion(US$74million)904 million(US$14million)

20107.38 billion(US$116million)3.56 billion(US$56million)-902 million(US$14million)

201116.08 billion(US$252million)7.50 billion(US$118million)-127 million(US$2million)

201222.48 billion(US$353million)9.33 billion(US$146million)-681 million(US$11million)

201326.87 billion(US$422million)10.28 billion(US$161million)-79 million(US$1million)

201431.98 billion(US$502million)10.62 billion(US$167million)-607 million(US$10million)

Funding and Capitalization[edit]DMRC is owned equally by the Delhi government and the Government of India.As of March 2014, total debt stood atINR219 billion(US$3.4billion), while equity capital wasINR188 billion(US$3.0billion).Cost of the debt is 0% for Govt of India and Delhi government loans, and between 0.01% and 2.3% for Japan International Cooperation Agency loans. Of the equity capital,INR152 billion(US$2.4billion) is paid-up capital and rest is rese