The Delhi metro currently has 3 major lines:*Red line: Dilshad Garden - Rithala, Blue Line: Indraprastha - Dwarka, and the Yellow Line: Jahangirpuri - Central Secretariat
My Original Experience:
During my time in India last summer, my relatives kept on talking about the wonder that is the Delhi Metro, I thought to myself that they must be joking, anyway we went to the South Patel Nagar station.
From the outside the station didn’t seem impressive, just the same old tan colored cement walls that you see everywhere in India. To get into the station we had to climb up a large set of stairs, elevators/lifts are provided for the physically disabled.
Once inside it was a quick walk up to the ticketing booth, where you buy a single-ride token we bought one to Karol Bagh for about Rs. 9/-. Afterwards, you have to go through a full security check. Afterwards, you enter a massive and clean station. Once you find the correct platform, you only have to wait for about a few minutes before it comes. The metro runs about 3-5 minute frequencies. Two minutes later, our silver chariot came to a screeching halt in front of us and the automatic doors opened.
The Japanese company that designed the metro was very smart because it created large doors. That way even with the chaotic way, Indians board the train, it still allows for a smooth flow. After about 20 seconds, you hear a repeated beeping sound and the announcement that the doors are closing. Once the train starts moving, you get the nice blast of cool AC and the trains are fairly comfortable with plenty of standing room and about 60 seats per cabin.
The train is a bit jerky in its movements so if you’re standing remember to hold on tight. Within about 5 minutes, we were at Karol Bagh and we exited the train deposited our tokens into a machine controlled exit, there are several of these at each station, so exiting he train is really easy. I was amazed by the speed and convenience of the metro, on a good day a drive to Karol Bagh take about 15-20 minutes and parking is an incredible hassle.
*Category by Category Breakdown of the Delhi Metro:
Stations:
*Overall, I was amazed by the cleanliness of the stations, there was absoloutely no garbage and the staff were very helpful. On the outside, the station’s architecture is unimpressive and the long climb up the stairs to reach the station get annoying, but once inside the stations themselves are very clean and well designed. There is an information booth right as you entered the ticketing windows are generally well-staffed. Once you clear security the are plenty of coffee shops and cell phone shops, so you can get something to eat or simply kill time.
The platforms were very clean and the signs were written in both English and Hindi, which makes things easier. At the platform, passengers are told to stand behind the yellow safety line and the staff will enforce that rule, which is nice to see. The platforms are covered, but the area above train isn’t enclosed, which is nice because this design allows plenty of light into the station, but passengers are shielded from the heavy monsoon rains. Clocks are found at all stations and digital signs help keep passengers informed about train arrivals.
The Train: The trains are mostly silver colored, with a colored line (Red, Blue, or Yellow) running across the side to indicate, which line the train is. The trains come to screeching halts which is annoying, but as mentioned before I appreciated the large doors. Once inside, the AC cabins are very comfortable and the seating runs across the train walls. Thus, seating tends to be limited, if you ride during busy times, you are likely not going to get a seat, but at other times, finding a seat wasn’t much of a hassle. The seats themselves were very comfortable and the digital signs overhead are readable and keep passengers informed about upcoming stations.
The train will go through several announcements, like "stand clear the doors are closing, " "doors will open on the left, please mind the gap, " "Welcome on-board New Delhi Metro, " and "Eating on-board the Delhi Metro is strictly prohibited." The station announcements are made about 45 seconds before the train reaches the next station ad will sound something like this, "We are approaching the Shadipur Station, the next station is Patel Nagar." All announcements are made in English and Hindi.
The type of people:The crowd on the Metro is likely more affluent than the crowds riding on DTC busses, thus most are generally very polite and decently dressed. Unfortunately, the metro still get its share of stinky people. Due to the better crowds, incidents are highly uncommon on the Metro and to date, no incidents of eve teasing have been reported.
Safety/Security:
As I mentioned before all passengers are required to undergo a security screening before they gain access to the train platforms. The security checks themselves are fairly through. You will have through a metal/explosive detector if the
machine doesn’t beep you can pass through without any further screening, if the
machine beeps you must undergo secondary screenings. During the secondary
screening, the staff will run a security wand over you and if you pass that
test you’re free to go. All bags must be hand-checked, which tends to slow down
security, Ijust don’t understand why the DMRC can’t invest in X-Ray/explosive diction
machines like they have in airports, it would definitely speed up the process. That
being said, the security wait times aren’t bad.
The Delhi Metro is an EMU (Electric Multi-unit train), each train usually has 4
cabins and each cabin has about 60 seats and standing room for about a
100people. The train is operated manually by a driver, above ground and the doors
are timed to close after 20 seconds. There is a loud beeping sound that starts about
5 seconds before the door closes. Each door on the metro has a dual-locking mechanism, so the chances of a door opening up during the ride is very low, even if one does, the train will come to a sudden halt.
Once underground , the Metro relies on ATO (Automatic Train Operation), during this time the train is completely controlled by computers. The Metro also has ABS (anti-lock brakes) and ATS and ATP (automatic train supervision/protection), which keep Metro trains at safe distances and allow the tracks to be switched automatically. Each station has several armed Metro Police guards and the each train has several armed plain-clothed Metro Marshalls, to deal with any unexpected events. This makes the Metro one of the safest public transportation systems in the world!
*Overall:
*I truly loved the Metro, it was just so much more convenient than driving anywhere in the chaotic and hazardous Delhi traffic. Also , the cost of the Metro, while expensive was still well worth it, as the trains are comfortable and air-conditioned. The 3-5 minute frequency of trains is among the best in the world. Congratulations, Delhi on this modern marvel, and let’s hope that the rest of the city will one day, be as clean, efficient, and comfortable as the Delhi Metro.
*Copyright 2009 by rohank4284
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