Delhi Metro Chief Mangu Singh ruled out services for longer time each day. He said the last trains routinely reach depots at midnight, and the first leave a little before 5 a.m.
Speaking at the Patel Chowk Metro station on the sidelines of a function at the Metro Museum, Singh said: “The last train is at 11 p.m., but by the time it reaches its destination, it is about midnight. Similarly, in the morning, though 6 a.m. is the scheduled time, trains start plying since 5 a.m., so there is no need for increasing the timing.”
According to Singh, “People don’t know the detailed timing of the Delhi Metro. People usually think that the service is from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. We want to tell them that our service begins a little before 5 a.m. and ends around 12 p.m. For example, the earliest train starts at 4:51 a.m from Dwarka Sector 21 to Rajeev Chowk. And the last train starts from Rajeev Chowk around 11:45 p.m. towards Yamuna Bank.”
On increasing the number of trains in the night service after 11 p.m., he indicated the enormous losses such a move might cause: “Hardly three to four passengers commute in the trains during late hours,” Singh said.
Earlier, following requests of women activists and college students, Delhi’s Lt. Governor Tejendra Khanna asked Delhi Metro to consider the request to begin services from 5 a.m. instead of 6 a.m. and extend night services from 11 p.m. to 11.30 p.m.
Talking about women’s safety in the Metro, Mangu Singh said the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), which provides security personnel to Delhi Metro, is deploying more women personnel.
Singh also said, “The CISF has increased patrolling inside the train and in stations. We are conducting periodical inspection at the stations. We are also checking whether areas outside Metro stations are well lit to ensure the safety of passengers.”
The Metro chief also said that more eight-coach trains would be deployed on the HUDA city center-Jahangirpuri line.
“The eight-coach trains will be increased on Line 2 (HUDA city center-Jahangirpuri), which has high commuter traffic. We are also increasing the frequency of Metro trains on Saturdays, as there is an increase in the number of riders.”
Singh said that more commuters have started to use the Metro services from Central Secretariat to Badarpur.
“The number of riders has picked up on Line 6 (Cental Secretariat to Badarpur) so we will have more trains on that route,” According to him.
Delhi Metro, the city’s lifeline, daily ferries nearly 1.8 million passengers over 2,700 trips.
