Delhi Metro entered Vaishali

On 14-July, the satellite town of Ghaziabad became the third city in the National Capital Region (NCR) to find a place on the Metro map, after Gurgaon and Noida.By evening, about 30,000 people from Ghaziabad and adjacent areas in Uttar Pradesh (UP) had taken the Metro from the two new stations -Kaushambi and Vaishali -on the 2.57km extended corridor.

Length of new stretch: 2.57 km	Two new stations: Vaishali, Kaushambi	Train Frequency: 5 minutes 34 seconds
Travel time from Sector 21, Dwarka, to Vaishali: 81 min 22 seconds	Number of stations between Sector 21 Dwarka & Vaishali : 41	Min & Max Fares: Rs.8 & Rs.30
Commuters from Sahibabad can use foot-overbridge (FOB) across Kaushambi and Vaishali stations. Lifts at both entry points of FOB	Kaushambi station has three levels connected by three lifts and 2 escalators; Vaishali station has five levels with 3 lifts and 4 escalators	Kaushambi has 4 ticket counters; Vaishali has 6
Stations to have a total of 22 automatic fare collection gates with Kaushambi having 9 and Vaishali 13	Cars pick-and-drop points, along with cycle rickshaw and auto stands, provided outside both stations	Both stations have toilets for men, women and the physically challenged in the unpaid area
Special ramps inside both stations for movement of physically challenged	Vaishali station to be developed on lines of a mall	Parking: Kaushambi (50 cars, 100 two-wheelers) Vaishali (250 cars and 250 two-wheelers)

Four Metros close for security reasons

Delhi Metro has shut down 4 metros quite close to the Prime Minister's residence for security reasons starting from 3PM onwards. This was done so on the orders of the Delhi Police according to official sources. Other stations will operate as usual. The reason behind this move was to ensure that the protest to be held by Hazare supporters is held peacefully near the Prime Minister's residence at 5 PM. 

Kirti Nagar to AshokPark Main Section

The 3.32 kilometer long Kirti Nagar to Ashok Park Main section of Line No.5 i.e, Mundka to Inderlok/Kirti Nagar (also known as Green Line) is now a part of the Delhi Metro network. 

The section was ceremonially flagged off today by the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Delhi Smt. Sheila Dikshit from the new Kirti Nagar Metro station. Sh. Arvinder Singh, the Transport Minister of Delhi, Sh. Ramakant Goswami, the Industries Minister of Delhi, Sh. Anil Bhardwaj, MLA and Parliamentary Secretary to the Chief Minister and Sh. Rajesh Lilothia, MLA also attended the ceremony. 

The line was made operational for the public from 3 pm on 27th August 2011. This section comprises of two stations namely, Kirti Nagar (at grade) and Satguru Ram Singh Marg (elevated). 

Delhi Metro for restoration work

NEW DELHI: The stretch on National Highway-2 that passes by Sarita Vihar Metro station is in a shambles. However, repair is not held up because of paucity of funds. Already, Rs 1 crore has been paid up by Delhi Metro for restoration work, but National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is still sitting on the files. Sources say it will take at least three to four months to restore the road.

Usually, DMRC repairs roads after completion of construction. But in this case, it made the payment to NHAI after a demand was raised. NHAI officials admit DMRC was prompt, but the proposal is still with the NHAI headquarters for "clearance".

The stretch on the Ashram-Badarpur carriageway was damaged due to temporary diversions made by DMRC while laying Metro tracks. Now, the stretch has become a nightmare for motorists. During peak hours, traffic heading towards Faridabad gets stuck for hours. In a ripple effect, vehicles are caught in a bumper-to-bumper jam on the Sarita Vihar flyover. And once you descend the flyover, it takes about 15 minutes to cover a kilometre, which was only a five-minute drive earlier.

Inside a metro coach

The Delhi Metro uses cab signalling along with a centralised automatic train control system consisting of automatic train operation, Automatic Train Protection and automatic train signalling modules. A 380 MHz digital trunked TETRA radio communication system from Motorola is used on all 6 lines to carry both voice and data information. or Line 3,4 Siemens Transportation Systems has supplied the electronic interlocking Sicas, the operation control system Vicos OC 500 and the automation control system LZB 700 M. An integrated system comprising optical fibre cable, on-train radio, CCTV, and a centralised clock and public address system is used for telecommunication during train operations as well as emergencies. For Line-1 and Line-2 ALSTOM has supplied signalling system and for line 5,6 Bombardier has supplied signalling system.

Price of Ticket

For the convenience of customers, Delhi Metro commuters have three choices for ticket purchase. The RFID tokens are valid only for a single journey on the day of purchase and the value depends on the distance travelled, with fares for a single journey ranging from 8 (US$0.18) to 30 (US$0.67). Fares are calculated based on the origin and destination stations using a fare chart. A common ticketing facility for commuters travelling on Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses and the Metro will be introduced in 2011. Travel cards are available for longer durations and are most convenient for frequent commuters. They are valid for one year from the date of purchase or the date of last recharge, and are available in denominations of 50 (US$1.12)to 800 (US$17.8). A 10% discount is given on all travel made on it. A deposit of 50 (US$1.12)needs to be made to buy a new card. Tourist cards can be used for unlimited travel on the Delhi Metro network over short periods of time. There are two kinds of tourist cards valid for one and three days respectively. The cost of a one-day card is 100 (US$2.2) and that of a three-day card is 250 (US$5.6), besides a refundable deposit of 50 (US$1.12) that must be paid at the time of purchasing the card.

Metro Finance

The capital cost of Phases I and II has been estimated to be 14,430 crore (US$3.22 billion) at 2004 prices However, more recent estimates have placed the cost of construction at 200 crore (US$44.6 million) per kilometer. Thirty percent of the total investment for Phases I and II has been raised through equity capital with the Government of India (GoI) and Government of Delhi contributing equal shares, and approximately another 60 percent has been raised as either long-term or subordinate debt, through soft loans from the Japan Bank for International Cooperation. The rest of the investment is proposed to be recovered from internal revenues through operations and property development. The Metro also received 1,914.3 crore (US$426.9 million) as grant-in-aid from various agencies for the financial year ending March 2009. As of August 7, 2010, Delhi Metro has paid back an amount of 567.63 crore (US$126.58 million), which includes loan amount for Phase I and interest amounts for Phases I and II, to the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

In 2007, the Delhi Metro claimed to be one of only five metro systems in the world that operated at a profit without government subsidies. This was enabled by keeping maintenance costs to a minimum and harnessing additional revenue from advertisements and property development, apart from ticket sales. The Metro also generates revenue by leasing out its trains and stations for film shoots. Due to its increasing association with Delhi as an image of the city's everyday life, it has been a popular filming location for production houses, and several films and advertisements have been shot on board. Producers have to pay as much as 1 lakh (US$2,230) for every hour of filming, besides a security deposit and insurance.

For the financial year ended March 2008, the Metro reported operating revenues of 305.27 crore (US$68.1 million) and a profit before tax of 19.98 crore (US$4.46 million), which rose to 723.77 crore (US$161.4 million) and 90.43 crore (US$20.2 million) respectively for the financial year ended March 2009.

Timing

Trains operate at a frequency of 3 to 4.5 minutes between 6:00 and 23:00. Trains operating within the network typically travel at speeds below 80 km/h (50 mph), and stop about 20 seconds at each station. Automated station announcements are recorded in Hindi and English. Many stations have services such as ATMs, food outlets, cafés and convenience stores. Eating, drinking, smoking, and chewing of gum are prohibited in the entire system. The Metro also has a sophisticated fire alarm system for advance warning in emergencies, and fire retardant material is used in trains as well as on the premises of stations. Navigation information is available onGoogle Transit. The first coach of every train is reserved for women. Delhi Metro is the second contemporary rapid transit system in the world to do so after the Dubai Metro

Work process on routes

Phase II consists of 127 km (79 mi) of railway lines, of which the following sections are under construction.

Planned Opening Date	Route	Terminals	Length	Stations
August 2011	■ Green Line	Kirti Nagar – Ashok Park Main	3.32 km (2.06 mi)	2

 

Phase III

Phase III is tentatively composed of two new lines and three extensions, covering 67 new stations and 108 km of new track, with an estimated cost of 30,000 crore (US$6.69 billion). The following routes have received Delhi Cabinet clearance, but are still awaiting the final approval from the Ministry of Urban Development and the Group of Ministers.

§                    Mukundpur to Yamuna Vihar (35 stations, 56 km) - New line following Inner Ring Road (Line 7)

§                    Janakpuri (West) to Noida Botanical Garden (22 stations, 34 km) - New line (Line 8)

§                    Central Secretariat to Kashmiri Gate (7 stations, 9.8 km) - Violet Line extension

§                    Dwarka-Najafgarh (5 km) - Blue Line extension

§                    Jahangirpuri to Badali (3 stations, 4.48 km) - Yellow Line extension

Routes beyond Delhi border

The violet line has received approval to be extended further from the Badarpur station towards Faridabad. The proposal is currently being forwarded to a group of ministers within the central government for final approvals. The first phase of the extension will run for 13.875 km and have 9 stations. It is expected to be operational within 2 years from the start of construction work.

In addition, the Red Line is proposed to be extended further into Ghaziabad by 7.5 km with four additional stations - Shaheed Nagar, Rajbagh Colony, Rajendra Nagar and Mohan Nagar. Also plan to extend Airport express to Gurgaon Huda City Center is on the cards.

Phase IV

Phase IV has a 2020 deadline, and tentatively includes further extensions to Sonia Vihar, Reola Khanpur, Palam, Najafgarh, Ghazipur, Noida Sector 62, Gurgaon and Faridabad, having a total length of 108.5 km (67.4 mi). 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. The Ghaziabad Development Authority is planning to extend Delhi Metro lines deeper into Ghaziabad in three phases, including the extension of the Blue Line from Anand Vihar to Vaishali, and subsequently to Mehrauli via Indirapuram, as well as the extension of the Red Line from Dilshad Garden to the new Ghaziabad bus stand. The independently operated Gurgaon Metro, work on which is going on and has a deadline of 2013, will also interchange with the Delhi Metro

Current Route Information

Line	First operational	Last Extension	Stations	Length (km)	Terminals		Rolling stock
Red Line	December 24, 2002	June 4, 2008	21	25.15	Dilshad Garden	Rithala	23 trains
Yellow Line	December 20, 2004	September 3, 2010	34	44.65	Jahangirpuri	HUDA City Centre	45 trains
Blue Line	December 31, 2005	October 30, 2010	44	49.93	Noida City Centre	Dwarka Sector 21	59 trains
	January 7, 2010	July 14, 2011	8	8.75	Yamuna Bank	Vaishali
Green Line	April 3, 2010	—	15	18.46	Inderlok	Mundka	13 trains
Violet Line	October 3, 2010	January 14, 2011	15	20.04	Central Secretariat	Badarpur	29 trains
Airport Express	February 23, 2011	-	6	22.70	New Delhi	Dwarka Sector 21	8 trains

Red Line

The Red Line was the first line of the Metro to be opened and connects Rithala in the west to Dilshad Garden in the east, covering a distance of 25.09 kilometres (15.59 mi). It is partly elevated and partly at grade, and crosses the Yamuna River between Kashmere Gate andShastri Park stations The inauguration of the first stretch between Shahdara and Tis Hazari on December 24, 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.^[ Subsequent sections were inaugurated from Tis Hazari – Trinagar (later renamed Inderlok) on October 4, 2003, Inderlok – Rithala on March 31, 2004, and Shahdara – Dilshad Garden on June 4, 2008.

Yellow Line

The Yellow Line was the second line of the Metro and was the first underground line to be opened. It runs for 44.36 kilometres (27.56 mi) from north to south and connects Jahangirpuri with HUDA City Centre. 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 between Vishwa Vidyalaya and  Kashmere Gate opened on December 20, 2004, and the subsequent sections of Kashmere Gate – Central Secretariat opened on July 3, 2005, and Vishwa Vidyalaya – Jahangirpuri on February 4, 2009.This line also possesses the country's deepest Metro station at Chawri Bazaar, situated 30 metres (98 ft) below ground level. On 21 June 2010, an additional stretch from Qutub Minar to HUDA City Centre in Gurgaon was opened, initially operating separately from the main line. However, Chhatarpur station on this line opened on August 26, 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.^[ The connecting link between Central Secretariat and Qutub Minar opened on September 3, 2010. Interchanges are available with the Red Line at Kashmere Gate station, and with the Indian Railways network at Delhi and New Delhi railway stations.

Blue Line

The Blue Line was the third line of the Metro to be opened, and the first to connect areas outside Delhi. Partly overhead and partly underground, it connects Dwarka Sub City in the west with the satellite city of Noida in the east, covering a distance of 47.4 kilometres (29.5 mi).The first section of this line between Dwarka and Barakhamba Road was inaugurated on December 31, 2005, and subsequent sections opened between Dwarka – Dwarka Sector 9 on April 1, 2006, Barakhamba Road – Indraprastha on November 11, 2006, Indraprastha – Yamuna Bank on May 10, 2009, Yamuna Bank – Noida City Centre on November 12, 2009, and Dwarka Sector 9 - Dwarka Sector 21 on October 30, 2010.This line crosses the Yamuna River between Indraprastha and Yamuna Bank stations, and has India's firstextradosed bridge across the Northern Railways mainlines near Pragati Maidan. A branch of the Blue line, inaugurated on January 8, 2010, takes off from Yamuna Bank station and runs for 6.25 kilometres (3.88 mi) up to Anand Vihar in east Delhi. It was further extended up to Vaishali which was opened to public on July 14, 2011.A small stretch of 2.76 kilometres (1.71 mi) from Dwarka Sector 9 toDwarka Sector 21 was inaugurated on October 30, 2010. Interchanges are available with the Yellow Line at Rajiv Chowk station, and with the Indian Railways network at the Anand Vihar Railway Terminal.

Green Line

Opened in 2010, the Green Line was the first standard-gauge corridor of the Delhi Metro. The fully elevated line connects Mundka with Inderlok, running for 15.1 kilometres (9.4 mi) mostly along Rohtak Road. An interchange with the Red line is available at Inderlok station via an integrated concourse.This line also has the country's first standard-gauge maintenance depot at Mundka.

Violet Line

The Violet Line is the most recent line of the Metro to be opened, and the second standard-gauge corridor after the Green Line. The 20.2 km (12.6 mi) long line connects Badarpur to Central Secretariat, with 9 km (5.6 mi) being overhead and the rest underground. The first section between Central Secretariat and Sarita Vihar was inaugurated on October 3, 2010, just hours before the inaugural ceremony of the 2010 Commonwealth Games, and connects the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium which is the venue for the opening and closing ceremonies of the event. Completed in just 41 months, it includes a 100 m (330 ft) long bridge over the Indian Railways mainlines and a 167.5 m (550 ft) long cable-stayed bridge across an operational road flyover, and connects several hospitals, tourist attractions and a major industrial estate along its route.^[Services are provided at intervals of 5 min. An interchange with the Yellow Line is available at Central Secretariat through an integrated concourse. On January 14, 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.

Airport Express

The Airport Express line runs for 22.7 km (14.1 mi) from New Delhi Railway Station to Dwarka Sector 21, linking the Indira Gandhi International Airport. The line is operated, by the Delhi Airport Metro Express Pvt. Limited (DAMEL), a subsidiary of Reliance Infrastructure, the concessionaire of the line. Constructed at a cost of 2,885 crore (US$643.36 million), the line has six stations (Dhaula Kuan and Delhi Aerocity became operational on August 15, 2011), with some featuring check-in facilities, parking and eateries. Rolling stock consists of six-coach trains operating at intervals of ten minutes and having a maximum speed of 135 km/h (84 mph). Originally scheduled to open before the 2010 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.