Delhi Metro

The Delhi Metro is a rapid transit system serving Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida in the National Capital Region of India. network consists of six lines with a total length of 189.63 kilometres (117 mi) with 142 stations of which 35 are underground. It has combination of elevated, at-grade and underground lines and uses both broad gauge and standard gauge rolling stock. types of rolling stock are used: Mitsubishi-ROTEM Broad gauge,Mitsubishi-ROTEM Standard gauge and CAF Beasain Standard gauge.

Delhi Metro is being built and operated by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Limited . As of November 2010, DMRC operates around 2,700 trips daily between 6:00 and 23:00 running with interval of 2 minutes 30 seconds between trains at peak frequency. The trains are mainly  four coaches, but due to increase in passengers numbers, six-coach trains are also added on Red Line  Yellow Line (Jahangirpuri to HUDA city centre), Blue Line (Dwarka sec −21 to Vaishali/NOIDA city centre) and Violet Line .4578 The power output is supplied by 25-kilovolt, 50 Hertz alternating current through overhead catenary.

Current  routes of Metro Line

Red Line

Red Line

Main article: 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 and Shastri Park stations. The inauguration of the first stretch between Shahdara and Tis Hazari on 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. Subsequent sections were inaugurated from Tis Hazari – Trinagar (later renamed Inderlok) on 4 October 2003,Inderlok – Rithala on 31 March 2004, and Shahdara – Dilshad Garden on 4 June 2008.The red line has two interchange stations, the first being Kashmere Gate with the yellow line and the second Inderlok with the green line.

Yellow Line

Yellow Line

Main article: 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 in Gurgaon. 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 20 December 2004, and the subsequent sections of Kashmere Gate – Central Secretariat opened on 3 July 2005, and Vishwa Vidyalaya – Jahangirpuri on 4 February 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 was opened, initially operating separately from the main line.

Blue Line

Blue Line

Main article: Blue Line

The Blue Line was the third line of the Metro to be opened, and the first to connect areas outside Delhi. Mainly elevated 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 31 December 2005, and subsequent sections opened between Dwarka – Dwarka Sector 9 on 1 April 2006, Barakhamba Road – Indraprastha on 11 November 2006, Indraprastha – Yamuna Bank on 10 May 2009, Yamuna Bank – Noida City Centre on 12 November 2009, and Dwarka Sector 9 – Dwarka Sector 21 on 30 October 2010.

Green Line

Main article: 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 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 18.46 km. The line was opened in two stages, with the 15.1 km Inderlok - Mundka section opening on 3 April 2010, and the 3.5 km Kirti Nagar - Ashok Park Main branch line on 27 August 2011.

Violet Line

Violet Line

Main article: 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 3 October 2010,that just hours before the inaugural ceremony of the 2010 Commonwealth Games, and connects the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, which was the venue for the opening and closing ceremonies of the event.

Airport Express

The interior of a Delhi Metro Airport Express train

Main article: Delhi Airport Metro 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 Delhi Airport Metro Express Pvt.

Planned extensions

Delhi Metro map with Phase I, phase II & proposed phase III routes

Phase III

Out of 2 new lines and 10 route extensions proposed for Phase III, cabinet approvals have been obtained for 2 new lines and 5 line extensions totaling 140 km, with an estimated cost of 350 billion (US$6.0 billion).Construction has already begun on many of these, and by mid-2012, tenders of all approved lines will be awarded.

Other than these approved lines, there are several other proposed lines which are awaiting approval for inclusion in Phase III. These line extensions are:

Phase III will have 28 underground stations covering 41 km. More than 20 tunnel boring machines are expected to be simultaneously used during construction of Phase III. 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. 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.

Phase IV

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 100 km. There might be some changes in plan before actual construction starts on these lines.

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 through extension of the Blue Line from Vaishali to Mehrauli via Indirapuram.