The city’s modern symbol of safe and comfortable travel, Delhi Metro will complete a decade of operations with a gift to its commuters — introduction of eight-coach trains that can carry more passengers in one trip.
Delhi Metro, which began operations with just 8 km on December 24, 2002, now has a network of 185 km and carries over 2 million passengers on an average day.
The eight-coach trains which would carry 600 additional commuters than the 2,200 capacity of a six-coach train will be inducted into service by Urban Development Minister Kamal Nath and Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit tomorrow at Central Park.
The first eight-coach train will be introduced on the Jahangirpuri-HUDA City Centre corridor and this will be the first of a total of 68 eight-coach trains which will be introduced on the Gurgaon and Noida lines.
As a special 10th anniversary gift for senior citizens and the differently-abled persons, Delhi Metro will allot more seats for them from tomorrow onwards.
Apart from existing reservation of four seats for old and physically challenged in each car of a Metro train, additional four seats will be earmarked for senior citizens and differently-abled persons in the DT car (coaches with train operators cabin attached) and additional eight seats in the M car (the middle coaches).
Commenting on 10 years of the journey, Delhi Metro Chief Mangu Singh said Delhi Metro was a dream which was very difficult to realise.
It was a dream which was awaited not only by the commuters of Delhi but by the whole nation.
“It’s now a reality, a reality which everyone is looking up to. This has all been possible because of the engineers, technicians and other officials who made this dream come into a reality,” he said.
Delhi Metro will also mark the completion of ten years of its operations with many other activities, which will continue for a week.
A commemorative souvenir book titled “Delhi Metro: A Decade of Dedication, 10 Years of Metro Operations” will also be unveiled on the occasion and a special commemorative smart card will also be launched tomorrow.
Delhi Metro will also honour the top 200 smart card users, who have used the smart cards more than the other commuters.
Among other activities, a grand photo exhibition featuring the highlights of Delhi Metro’s ten years of operations will be inaugurated.
During the entire week from Tuesday to Monday next quiz shows will be organized at select Metro stations where attractive prizes will be given to the participating commuters.
This apart, commemorative films on the completion of ten years of operations will be screened at the Metro stations and an exclusive Metro song has also been composed which will be aired on the FM Radio Channels as well as Metro stations.