Every destination in Delhi not only used to be very ‘duur’, it used to be one big ‘durd’ to reach destinations. The world has not turned upside down, but things look much brighter and safer now with the arrival of Delhi Metro.
2010 is the year for Delhi to host Commonwealth Games. And apart from facilities like athletes’ village and stadium infrastructure, what might help the city get it right would be a public sector spectacle called Delhi Metro.
The Delhi Metro was opened on December 24, 2002. It is the second underground rapid transit system in India, after the one in operation in Kolkata. But unlike the Calcutta Metro, the Delhi Metro has a combination of elevated, ground level and underground tracks.
From widespread cynicism at the beginning of the project to lack of education amongst early commuters, everything seemed to be loaded against the project. Not to mention that fact that a public body has not had a successful project of such magnificent nature since long. But the team of Dr. E. Sreedharan, the managing director of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Limited (DMRC) has managed to have eggs on all the nay-sayers. Today, the Delhi metro is a benchmark for all public-private participation programs in India.
The real beauty lies not just in the aesthetics of the trains or stations, but in the many facets of its being. The most heart-warming change that it has brought is offering safety of a Mumbai or Ahmedabad to lady commuters of the city. It is by far the safest mode of commuting for thousands of women who need to use public transport every day in Delhi. It gives respite from the rowdy blue-line bus-walahs and meter-allergic auto drivers. Furthermore, it has not only significantly cut down the commuting hours but also made commuting very relaxing. Kids and young couples actually look forward to reaching the metro stations and have a fun ride.
It is a win-win scenario for everyone involved – right from the government to the common man. A’bad-G’nagar metro, come soon!
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Delhi Metro at a Glance
- Each train consists of four coaches and can carry up to 240 seated and 300 standing passengers
- The trains operate at intervals of three to five minutes between 6am to 10pm
- Trains generally run at speeds below 80 km/h, or 50 mph
- Trains stop for an average of 20 seconds at each MRTS station
- All coaches are air-conditioned
- All metro stations and trains have their own specially trained Metro police
- Each station has been designed with a unique scheme, with local students of arts colleges contributing towards designing of decorative murals etc.
