Engineering Marvel: 10 Facts About Delhi Metro That Make It The Best Railway Network In The World

Before the Delhi Metro ran across every nook and corner of the national capital, commuters had to deal with the DTC bus mania. People would reach their destination pushing and shoving each other in crowded and crumbling buses. Within 16 years of its operation, the Delhi metro network is recognized as the best in the world.

With a total operational length of 327 km with 236 stations en route, the Delhi metro has joined the golden club of London, Shanghai, Beijing and New York metro network that have a metro network length of more than 300 kms.

Around 2.8 million people travel everyday in eight coach metro trains where the first one in the moving direction is always reserved for women. From not only connecting main hotspots in Delhi to NCR like Noida and Gurgaon, its automated train doors open and close more than 25 lakh times everyday!

Photo: BCCL

Many stations even have fine art murals, exhibitions and museums that take the riders through a brief journey of the DMRC. Signal boosters are also being installed to improve network connectivity at underground stations.

Considered as an avant-garde in technology, the Delhi metro not only saves time but fare and energy also. Its hassle-free procedures and automated token vending machines have made it accessible to all. Executive Director, Corporate Communications of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Anuj Dayal shared with us some important milestones that the DMRC has achieved.

So, if you a cribbing about a slow moving metro right now or are stuck on the blue or yellow line then these interesting facts will keep you engaged:

Hauz Khas On Yellow And Magenta Line Is The Deepest Station In Delhi

Photo: BCCL/ Wall Painting at Hauz Khas metro station on Magenta Line

With a depth of 30 metres, the new station has been built to connect with the old portion of Hauz Khas. The new station has been connected with the presently operational station through a ramp. Hauz Khas station starts near the Laxman Public school and proceeds up to almost the median of the Outer Ring Road.

The old station at Hauz Khas is 17 meters deep. For the construction of the new area, it was not possible to go below the existing station as the foundation is 32 metres and there is the foundation of the flyover on Outer Ring Road also.

Photo: BCCL/ Hazrat Nizamuddin station on Pink Line

Hence, if the engineers had to construct a new station below the existing station they would have to dug 42 metres deep. Therefore, the new station has been built adjacent to the existing one at a depth of 29 metres and a length of 265 metres.

Not only this, as opposed to maximum three or four levels, Hauz Khas metro station has been designed as a five level station (rail ¨C platform ¨C intermediate ¨C intermediate - concourse).

Tunnel Below A Tunnel: An Engineering Landmark

Hauz Khas apart from being an interchange station also has a tunnel that runs below the existing tunnel of yellow line. In Phase 3, apart from Hauz Khas, tunnels have been constructed below operational tunnels at three other locations.

Janakpuri West Metro Station Has The Tallest Escalator In India

Photo: BCCL/Janakpuri West has the tallest escalators in India

The DMRC added another feather to its cap in May last year. With an elevation of 15.6 metre, escalators at Janakpuri West on Blue and Magenta line have broken India's tallest escalator record. Prior to Janakpuri West this record was held by the Mumbai Terminal 2 airport where the escalators had a height of 11.6 metres.

The height of Janakpuri-West escalators is equal to that of a five-storey building. The horizontal length is equal to 35.3 metres.

Photo: BCCL/ Janakpuri West Metro station

Kashmere Gate The Only Triple Interchange Station In Delhi

One of the busiest stations, Kashmere gate located on the Yellow, Violet and Red line is the only interchange station in Delhi that connects three metro lines.

Ashram Metro Station On Pink Line Touted As World¡¯s Smallest Station

The unique design of Ashram metro station was developed due to space and land shortage that was acting as an impediment to DMRC¡¯s project. Infact, some parts of the station are not even inside it but located in nearby plots that DMRC was forced to find.

The station design takes up only 151.6 metres of space against the average of 265 metres. According to DMRC officials, it is the smallest station in Delhi and probably all over the world.

Photo: BCCL/Ashram Metro station

While the station was supposed to be just like any other underground station; the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation realized that 40% of the planned layout of the station was unavailable for construction. The station box couldn¡¯t be relocated due to the Ashram flyover on one side and apartments on the other.

Chawri Bazar Metro Station Known For Blend Between History And Technology

The Chawri Bazaar metro station became the second deepest metro station after opening of Hauz Khas with a depth of 25 metres below the surface. Since it is located in Old Delhi and close to capital¡¯s historical monuments like Jama Masjid and Red Fort, the metro station is known as a blend between technology and historical places of Delhi.

Photo: Indian Express

Dhaula Kuan Is The Highest Point Of The Delhi Metro Network

Located at a height of 23.6 metres, Dhaula Kuan metro station located on the Delhi Airport Express Line is the highest point of the Delhi Metro Network and is as tall as a seven storey building.

Patel Chowk Metro Museum The Only Museum In Asia Located On A Functional Metro Station

Photo: Patel Chowk Metro Museum/ Museums of India

The Metro Museum at Patel Chowk is the only museum about a Metro Railway in the entire South Asian region and is the only one to be located on a functional metro station. The Museum is even located in close proximity to other museums such as National Museum, Philately Museum and Parliament Museum.

It is located at the concourse level of Patel Metro Station.

DMRC 1st Railway Project In The World To Earn Carbon Credits

In 2011, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation became the world¡¯s first railway network to earn carbon credits from the United Nations for helping cut Greenhouse gas emissions by almost 6,30,000 tonnes a year.

It has also received Platinum rating by Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) to all station buildings on its Phase-III network.

The highest ridership in 16 years of its operation was recorded on August 17, 2016 when 33.61 lakh people were commuting via the Delhi metro.

Photo: BCCL

There are more than a thousand escalators and 750 lifts that are operational across the DMRC network. Over two crore smart cards are in circulation since 2002. More than 700 token vending machines are installed across the DMRC network.

2018 was a phenomenal year for the Delhi metro since 90 km of the stretch was thrown open to the public. More than 30 tunnel boring machines were used to excavate tunnels in its Phase-III projects.

Almost nine colors have been used so far for color coding of operational metro lines- Yellow, Blue, Red, Green, Violet, Magenta, Orange, Pink and Grey. More than 18.5 lakh people use smart cards while travelling in the metro everyday.

Photo: BCCL

The Delhi metro covers a stretch of 1.28 lakh km on a daily basis. On October 02, 2010 the corporation started the practice of reserving one coach for women in every metro, almost eight years after its inauguration.

The first six coach train started operating on December 23, 2010 while the first eight coach train became operational on December 24, 2012- the tenth anniversary of DMRC. For the entire network, there are only three operation control centres.

With around 163 elevated stations, 65 Sniffer dogs that man all its stations and around 1500 train operators that serve the Delhi public each day, Delhi Metro plans to achieve 50 MW roof top solar power generation capacity by 2021.