The signed loan is a first tranche of the ADB approved one billion- dollar loan facility, to build a high-speed, modern, 82-km Delhi-Meerut RRTS Corridor that will improve the regional connectivity and mobility in India’s National capital Region (NCR).
The loan agreement for Delhi-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) investment project was signed between Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Finance, Sameer Khare, and Country Director of ADB’s India Resident Mission, Kenichi Yokoyama.
The first tranche loan will be supporting the construction of the first of three priority rail corridors that are planned under the NCR Regional Plan 2021 to connect Delhi to other cities in the adjoining states.
The project will aim at providing better connectivity to allow other towns in the NCR to develop as urban economic centres surrounded by the residential areas while also easing the concentration pressure on Delhi. The corridor development will also have a huge demonstration effect. It will pave the way for the paradigm shift in the mobility and pattern of urban development within the region.
The 82-km Delhi-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System Corridor, with a design speed of 180 km per hour and high-frequency operations of every 5 to 10 minutes, will connect Sarai Kale Khan in Delhi to Modipuram in Meerut in UP. It is expected to reduce the journey time to about 1 hour from the present 3 to 4 hours.
NEW Delhi (Metro Rail News): The Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) project has started taking shape with the NCR Transport Corporation (NCRTC) placing of segments on the pillars. It has also finalised the outer structure of all its elevated stations in the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut corridor.
The 82km RRTS route will connect the three cities through 24 stations, 21 of which are in Uttar Pradesh. The project will run high speed trains and estimates to have ridership of about 800,000 daily passengers. “The contours of the outer structure of the stations have been finalised. The buildings will be environment friendly and sustainable while giving a unique look’, according to Sudhir Sharma, chief public relations officer (PRO) of NCRTC.
The officials said that the RRTS station facade will be modular, easy to fabricate and erect. They will comprise of diamond shaped panels to give 3D effect to the external facade.
“Each station will be energy efficient with availability of ample natural sunlight and equipped with solar panels besides having exquisite aesthetic appeal. It will have diagonal structure in the facade which signifies mobility, a sense of motion which is the basis of high speed RRTS trains,” said an officer from NCRTC.
Officials added that the outer design was finalised for all 20 elevated stations, the rest are underground stations with one in Delhi and three in Meerut.
They added that the aesthetically appealing external envelope will be combination of perforated metal sheet, louvres, corrugated sheet, glass panel and polycarbonate roofing which will give unique identity to RRTS stations. All the stations will be designed with solar panels on roof and will be energy efficient and studded with environment friendly lighting fixtures will full compliance to Indian Green Building Council guidelines.
The entire RRTS project is pegged at Rs 30274 crore and proposed to run high-speed trains between Delhi, Ghaziabad and Meerut with a speed of about 180kmph.
The NCRTC has already identified a priority stretch of 17km in Ghaziabad (Sahibabad to Duhai) for which the work started initially while the works have also started for the other 33km connecting stretch from Duhai to Shatabdipuram in Meerut.
NEW DELHI (Metro Rail News): After resuming services on most of its Line under Stage-I of the Graded resumption from 7th to 10th September, where services were/are being run for 4 hours each in the morning and evening, the Delhi Metro will now resume services on its last major Line-8 i.e, Magenta Line from Janakpuri West to Botanical Garden (37.5 KM/25 stations) & Line-9, i.e, Grey Line from Dwarka to Najafgarh (4.3 KM/3 stations) from tomorrow i.e, 11th September 2020 under Stage-II.
The timings for running the services on Lines re-opened till 11th September 2020 under both stage-I as well stage-II will be for 6 hours each in the morning (from 7:00 AM to 1:00 PM) and evening (4:00 PM to 10:00 PM) with broadly the same frequency which used to be before lockdown. Accordingly, the details of trains/trips planned for each operational line for 11th September 2020 are given below:
“These service timings will remain valid only for 11th September only and normal timing of services throughout the day from 6:00 AM to 11:00 PM will become applicable from 12th September 2020 onwards on all Lines when the last line of Delhi Metro network i.e, Airport Express Line from New Delhi to Dwarka Sec-21 (22.7 KM/6 stations) is made operational under Stage-III, the last stage under graded resumption plan of Metro services. On Sundays (Starting from 20th September 2020 onwards) the services will commence at 8.00 AM from all such sections which had this practice in vogue before the lockdown also. However, on this Sunday, i.e., 13th September 2020, the services on these lines will commence at 6 AM as per the existing schedule”, said DMRC.
Thus, all Lines of the Delhi Metro network comprising 349 KM and 253 Metro stations will be fully operational once again from 12th September 2020, which were closed since 22nd March 2020 owing to the national lockdown imposed by the Government due to the ongoing pandemic.
Owing to new norms of social distancing in place now which has significantly reduced the number of persons to be carried in a train, DMRC has also decided to run the peak hour frequency* of trains from 8 AM to 8 PM, doing away with the concept of off-peak hours from 11 AM to 4 PM where services were available with less trains/trips earlier.
“General public is once again advised to adhere to social distancing norms/guidelines during the Metro travel due to ongoing pandemic and also keep following DMRC’s website/social media platforms for regular updates on various Do’s & Don’ts required to be followed in these times for their own convenience, before heading out for the Metro station”, said a DMRC statement.
*FREQUENCY/HEADWAY DETAILS:-
From start of service till 8:00 AM: Frequency will be available in the range of 3 min to 15 min as the trains are gradually inducted from Depots to Lines.
From 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM: On all the main stretches of Lines, frequency will be available in the range of 2 min 45 sec to 6 minutes
From 8:00 PM to close of services: Frequency will be available in the range of 3 min to 15 min as the trains are gradually withdrawn from Lines to Depots.
Ø Headway of trains in certain sections of a given Line where every alternate train movement takes place for regular services like Yamuna Bank to Noida, Yamuna Bank to Vaishali etc. will take double the time of the range given above.
Ø Frequency/Headway on Airport Express Line will remain available at an interval of every 10 minute from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM as was available earlier.
LUCKNOW (Metro Rail News): Lucknow Metro Rail Corporation has always been receiving appreciation from the people of Lucknow for its exemplary customer service and dedication. Right from providing immediate first aid to the needy, or reconciling parents with their children who are left behind at stations and to returning numerous belongings left behind by the passengers, Lucknow metro team ensures that every passenger and belonging inside the metro premises is safe and secure.
Yesterday, on September 9, 2020 (Wednesday), a bag containing Rs 5,32,286 Demand Draft was recovered during routine search inside the X-BIS machine. The promptness and integrity of the metro team helped the passenger get his belonging back preventing a major loss. On Wednesday, during an inspection of the X-BIS machine of the Vishwavidyalaya Metro Station, Security Staff found a Polythene bag. The Staff immediately informed the Station Controller, Ms. Priyanka Rai, and deposited the bag in the station control room. On checking the bag, it was found that it had Rs 5,32,286 Demand Draft.
After due verification and completing formalities, Mr. Prashant Kumar, was handed over his bag within 40 minutes of finding the bag inside the X-BIS machine. Mr. Prashant was overwhelmed by the integrity and dedication of Lucknow Metro Team and was all praise while thanking them for getting her belonging back to her safely averting a major financial loss.
“Today, security guard, Mr. Ramji Mishra, clock number 400891 at CCS Airport metro station found Rs 330 / – inside the train. As soon as the security personal, Mr. Arun Kumar (Nodal), clock number 685323 came to know, he took prompt action and deposited the money to the Station Controller, Mr. Nishant. Such incidents reinforce Lucknow metro’s dedicated approach towards passenger service and strngthen’s passengers’ belief that when they are travelling by Lucknow Metro, they are in safe hands”, said UPMRC in a statement.
NOIDA (Metro Rail News):Noida Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (NMRC)’s Aqua Line connecting Noida and Greater Noida is all set to resume full-fledged operations from 12th September 2020 (Saturday). This means that NMRC will run as per the time-table and schedule that was being followed for the Aqua Line before the lockdown.
From 12th September 2020 (Saturday) NMRC will operate its metro train services from 6 AM till 10 PM from Monday to Saturday. The services on Sundays will begin from 8 AM till 10 PM.
Important Information
The trains will run at an interval of 7.5 minutes during Peak Hours (8 AM to 11 AM and 5 PM to 8 PM) and 10 minutes during Non-Peak Hours from Monday to Friday. Metro train services on Saturdays and Sundays will be available at an interval of 15 minutes throughout the day.
Only one Entry / Exit gate will be opened at the following stations: Sector – 101, Sector- 81, NSEZ, Sector-83, Sector -137, Sector-142, Sector-143, Sector – 144, Sector – 145, Sector – 146, Sector -147, Sector -148, Alpha -1, Delta – 1 and GNIDA Office according to a statement released by the NMRC.
The stations where both Entry / Exit gates will be kept open are: Sector – 51, Sector –50, Sector –76, KP-II, Pari chowk, Depot Station.
Stations falling in containment zones will be closed and trains will not stop at these stations. This information will be communicated to the public through public notices, announcements and on the NMRC website and Mobile App.
The services on the Aqua Line were resumed after almost five months of lockdown from 7th September 2020. The Metro services are currently running from 7 AM to 11 AM in the mornings and 5 PM to 9 PM in the evenings at an interval of 15 minutes.
The NMRC has also made available at the following 10 stations: Sector – 51, Sector –76, Sector – 101, Sector- 81, Sector -137, Sector-142, KP-II, Pari Chowk, Alpha -1 and Delta – 1.
To facilitate the commuters and boost last mile connectivity, free E – Rickshaw facility is available for connectivity between Sector 51 station of NMRC’s Aqua Line and Sector 52 station of DMRC’s Blue Line. Besides this, E – Rickshaws on payment basis are also available at Sector 137 and Sector 142 metro stations.
“NMRC is taking all necessary measures to ensure a safe journey for Aqua Line commuters. The NMRC trains are also fully sanitised after each trip. The stations, platform and other “contact areas” like Call buttons of lifts, AFC gates, Handle belts of Escalators & Staircases, POS machines etc. are also sanitised at regular intervals. The E- Rickshaws are also regularly sanitised after every journey”, said Mrs Ritu Maheshwari, the Managing Director of NMRC.
“The ridership of the Aqua Line has seen a steady increase since the first day of resuming operations from a ridership of approx. 600 passengers and by the third day the ridership crossed 1, 000 passengers”, said a statement released by the NMRC.
LUCKNOW (Metro Rail News): Lucknow Metro has been vouching for Contactless Travel since the resumption of Metro services and considering their safety and health, passengers are showing a positive attitude towards the usage of Go-Smart Cards for an absolute contactless travel. These provisions and safety arrangements are giving passengers a sense of satisfaction and safety while travelling. Measures taken by UPMRC are leading to positive response among passengers in terms of footfall also. Among all others, Lucknow Metro is the only public transport that offers the provision of the total contactless travel experience by the usage of GoSmart cards. This mode of contactless travel benefits the passengers to a wide extent by making their journey safe and carefree.
The key highlights & Unique features of contactless travel through GoSmart Card are:
No currency exchange; facility of online recharge through net banking, debit card as well automatic TVMNo actual tapping of the GoSmart card on the card reader of AFC Gates. AFC gate equipped with a special sensor that scans the card when brought close to it right from entering the station, boarding the train and exiting the station, no physical contact with any object except for the sanitized metro seat. GoSmart Card saves both time & money with no need to stand in queue for buying tokens 10% fare discount on each travel facilitates buying of multiple tokens for co-passengers through cashless transaction via GoSmart card With GoSmart card users can avail & enjoy free Wi-Fi facility at Metro stations Contactless GoSmart card is compact, portable & is available for sale at all the Metro stations.
Shri Kumar Keshav, MD, UPMRC today took a visit to many metro stations starting from CCS Airport Metro station in the morning. He said, “I request our commuters to use GoSmart card to experience absolute contactless metro travel. The well-being of our commuter is paramount for us for which we encourage cashless transaction with the special facility of dispensing multiple tokens from GoSmart card.” The public can be rest assured with peace of mind in comparison to other modes of the public transport system. UPMRC is committed to the safety and security of its passengers by taking utmost care with strict compliance of guidelines & norms of the government.
Lucknow metro has specially designed & prepared comprehensive ‘Business Continuity Plan’ comprising all the safety measures, instruction & regulations for ensuring the safest travel to its commuters.This plan can be easily accessed and downloaded from our e-platforms. Public Relations Department Uttar Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation
Noida ( Metro Rail News) – Noida Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (NMRC) successfully commenced operations on the first day of opening the Aqua Line for the general public at 7 AM on monday. The NMRC staff seemed ready in New Normal mode to welcome the passengers in the Metro system and guide them through all the new procedures that have to be followed by the passengers for travelling in the Aqua Line. On the first day of operations after the end of lockdown, NMRC recorded a ridership of approx. 200 passengers after operating the trains from 7 AM to 11 AM in the morning at a frequency of 15 minutes. In the evening NMRC will be operating from 5 PM to 7 PM with a 15 minutes frequency. All the passengers were screened at the entry point for temperature. Their hands were also sanitised at the entrance, post which they were allowed to enter the Metro premises. The NMRC team also ensured that the passengers maintained adequate social distancing and stood on the floor markings made at the stations, platforms and inside the trains. The NMRC trains were also fully sanitised after each trip. The stations, platform and other “contact areas” like Call buttons of lifts, AFC gates, Handle belts of Escalators & Staircases, POS machines etc. were also sanitised at regular intervals. Constant announcements were also being made at the stations and inside the trains to generate awareness among passengers and to urge them to follow the guidelines. The NMRC stations and trains were being NMRC constantly monitored at the Control Centres with the help of CCTV cameras. “The passengers also cooperated fully with the NMRC staff and adhered to all the guidelines prescribed by NMRC for their safety”, said a statement released by NMRC.
New Delhi (Metro Rail News) – The DMRC is going to open its pink and blue lines today as part of the Stage-I of graded resumption of Metro services, the Delhi Metro will resume operations after 171 days on its Blue Line i.e, Line-3/4 from Dwarka Sec -21 to Electronic City/Vaishali (65.35 km/58 stations) and Pink Line i.e, Line-7 from Majlis Park to Shiv Vihar (57.58 km & 38 stations) from Wednesday.
“From today onwards, services will be available on both of these Lines from 7:00 AM to 11:00 AM in the morning and from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM in the evening along with Yellow/Rapid Lines which are already operational since yesterday as per the given timings”, the DMRC said in an statement.
The re-opening of these two Lines will ensure availability of nine of the existing 28 interchange Metro stations from today as given below:
Rajouri Garden (Blue Line & Pink Like)
INA Delhi Haat (Yellow & Pink Line)
Mayur Vihar Phase – I (Blue Line & Pink Line)
Karkarduma (Blue Line & Pink Line)
Rajiv Chowk (Blue Line & Yellow Line)
Yamuna Bank (Blue Line 3 & 4)
Anand Vihar ISBT (Blue Line & Pink Line)
Azadpur (Pink Line & Yellow Line)
Sikanderpur (Yellow Line & Rapid Metro)
“The list of Gates which will remain open for entry of passengers at each station along with all necessary updates are available on the home page of Delhi Metro’s official website www.delhimetrorail.com for easy access of the passenger information”, said Mr. Anuj Dayal.
In addition to above Lines, 3 more Lines- Red Line i.e, Line-1 from Rithala to Shaheed Sthal New Bus Adda (Ghaziabad), Green Line i.e, Line-5 from Kirti Nagar/Inderlok to Brig. Hosihar Singh (Bahadurgarh) and Violet Line i.e, Line-6 from Kashmere Gate to Raja Nahar Singh (Ballabhgarh) will also resume services the day after i.e, from 10th September 2020 with the same schedule of 4 hours of passenger service each in the morning and evening under Stage-I plan of resumption of Metro services.
“Thereafter, rest of the remaining Lines (in addition to existing Lines of Stage-I) will also be re-opened under Stage -2 (Magenta Line i.e, Line-8 from Janakpuri West to Botanical Garden & Grey Line i.e, Line-9 from Dwarka to Najafgarh and Stage-3 (Airport Express Line from New Delhi to Dwarka Sec-21) of Graded resumption plan on 11th and 12th September 2020 respectively. Thus, the entire Metro network will be made operational for passenger services throughout the day from 12th September 2020 onwards as it was before 22nd March 2020 with all social distancing norms/guidelines to be followed by the passengers during the travel due to ongoing pandemic”, the statement added.
Lucknow ( Metro Rail News ) – After UPMRC restarted Lucknow Metro on monday it said that the people of Lucknow are happy and excited after the commencement of Lucknow Metro services as they have once again got an opportunity to travel with full comfort after the lockdown.
“Uttar Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation (UPMRC) is committed to the safety of its commuters and has taken all the necessary preventive measures & precautions to provide them a safe & secure commuting experience. Keeping in line with its mantra of committed passenger service, Lucknow Metro is yet again winning hearts with its paramount hygiene, cleanliness and regular sanitization at all Metro stations and inside trains”, it said in a statement.
On the first day of the resumption, UPMRC’s MD Mr. Kumar Keshav visited from Munshipulia to Hazratganj Metro station to examine the arrangements at the stations and the response of Lucknowites. He also interacted with the commuters to take feedback on the safety arrangements done by the UPMRC at stations and trains.
“A Business Continuity Plan has already been developed before restarting passenger services describing all the proper guidelines, regulation & instructions to be followed inside Metro premises. This plan is being shared with the people through electronic medium to make them feel confident that Lucknow Metro is the safest & most secure mode of travel”, added the statement. MD, UPMRC Mr. Kumar Keshav said, “We have taken care of minutest of things when it comes to passenger safety and comfort. With the series of measures of cleanliness and sanitization undertaken by us, we are undoubtedly the safest public transport as compared to the other public transport modes available in the city. I welcome you all to give us an opportunity to serve you with nothing but the best.”.
New Delhi ( Metro Rail News ) – resumed its services on Yellow Line and Rapid Metro, as per the graded resumption plan, from on monday.
“Operations in the first four hours from 7:00 AM to 11:00 AM was smooth with approx. 7500 passengers availing the services. DMRC got complete cooperation from its commuters who availed the services for the first time in 169 days with all new norms of Metro travel in place owing to the ongoing pandemic”, said a statement released by DMRC.
“DMRC will also take all possible measures to ensure that services are smooth in the evening four hours (from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM) as well”, it further added.
The Delhi Metro resumed services in a graded manner on Monday, with elaborate measures for crowd management and ensuring hygiene to check the spread of the virus. The Yellow Line connecting Samaypur Badli and HUDA City Centre in Gurgaon was the first one to be opened. The services resumed at 7 am with strict safety and social distancing measures in place.The trains will operate in batches of four-hour each from 7-11 am in the morning and 4-8 pm in the evening.
LUCKNOW (Metro Rail News): Lucknow Metro is all set to resume Metro operations from 7th September 2020 with state of the art facilities for the safest travel experience. Mr. Kumar Keshav, MD, UPMRC, on Sunday conducted an inspection & took an overview of operational preparedness from Hazratganj to Munshipulia, a day before the resumption of services.
A special interactive session was also conducted at CCS Aiport Metro station for media persons showcasing the safety measures adopted & other arrangements done by Lucknow Metro catering to the commuter safety, hygiene, health & protection.
‘Lucknow Metro has laid special emphasis on contactless travel, sanitization, social distancing, hygiene & cleanliness. Various rigorous steps have been undertaken to ensure a smooth, safe, secure and convenient commuting experience to the passengers”, a statement released by the UPMRC said.
Lucknow Metro MD Showing GoSmart Travel Card
The following measures will encourage people to use Metro more often for daily travel:
Total Contactless travel with a GoSmart card: A GoSmart user enjoys a Total contactless trip right from entering the Metro station, boarding the train to exiting the premises. The automatic sensor of AFC gates detects the card from a distance without tapping it. So the only thing a GoSmart card user comes in contact with are the sanitized train seats
First Metro in India to use UV technology for token sanitization ensuring full passenger safety
First Metro with the cashless facility of multiple tokens/tickets with GoSmart card
Social distancing markings & signage at all stations to ensure an adequate gap among passengers while queuing up near Ticket Counters (TOMs), Ticket Vending Machines (TVMs), security check frisking point, entry-exit AFC gates, etc.
Social distancing marking has been done on alternate seats to maintain a sufficient gap between passengers inside the train
Frequently touched areas inside trains like grab rails, grab poles, grab handles, passenger seats & door surfaces from inside are sanitized regularly
All common contact points like entry-exit gates, baggage scanners, Ticket Vending Machines, AFC gates, escalator handrails, staircase railings, lift buttons, platform seats, etc are also sanitized regularly.
The government guidelines & Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are being complied with inside the Metro system.
UPMRC has developed a detailed Business Continuity Plan encompassing all the safety measures, instructions & regulations for passenger comfort & safety. E-copy of it can be easily accessed online by the commuters
According to guidelines of the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA), UP Metro has prepared SOP for train operations highlighting various important aspects related to commuter safety & security.
As per SOP, Metro will operate with normal timings as earlier from 7th September 2020 ie. 6 am to 10 pm & 16 trains will run with an interval of 5 mins 30 secs.
The trains will stop at every station & mask is mandatory. If anyone don’t have it they can buy it from the health desk.
Arogya Setu is recommended but not mandatory for commuters to regularly check and update status. In case any person doesn’t carry a smartphone his/her name & mobile number will be noted in the register.
The temperature of every commuter will be recorded at entry.
Commuters are advised to avoid carrying metal items in the train to facilitate contactless frisking.
It’s mandatory to sanitize hands & sanitizer will be available at every gate.
Metro trains & station premises to be sanitized at regular intervals to ensure maximum safety to passengers.
Lucknow Metro to provide Total Contactless travel compared to auto, e-rickshaw, and bus by using a smart card with no need of cash exchange & stand in queues. The entry gate will open by bringing the card near to the sensor without touching it.
Social distancing to be maintained by the following signage & alternate seating inside trains with regularly sanitized seats.
Tokens & smart cards both will be functional for commuting. For the first time in the country & in the metro sector, Lucknow Metro will sanitize tokens using UV rays to provide utmost safety to the commuters.
Mr. Kumar Keshav further added, “Lucknow Metro is city’s pride and provides the best passenger service to the public of Lucknow. For us, commuter safety & security is paramount and we are following all the guidelines of the government as per SOPs for safe train operations. We have laid special emphasis on personal hygiene, health & safety of the public which will be using Metro for daily commuting with the same enthusiasm & vigor as earlier. Lucknow Metro is the safest mode of travel and I request you all to cooperate with us in making Metro the most secure form of an urban transport system. Be positive and enjoy a peaceful traveling experience in your Metro. As Lucknow Metro resumes its operations, I welcome you all once again to travel by your own Metro with the same confidence & affection that you have bestowed upon us ever.”
New Delhi (Metro Rail News): Delhi Metro is ready to resume its services, which were suspended since 22nd March 2020 due to Corona pandemic, from tomorrow i.e, 7th September 2020 onwards from Yellow Line (Samyapur Badli to HUDA City Centre) in a staggered manner. Over a period of next five days i.e, by 12th September, rest of the Lines will also be made operational with all safety measures in place to check the spread of Covid-19 in the Metro premises which requires everyone to follow a new normal of social distancing, face mask and hand sanitisation.
“On this Monday and Tuesday, only the Yellow line (49 KM with 37 stations consisting of 20 underground and 17 elevated stations) will remain operational for a period of four hours each in the morning (7 AM to 11 AM) and evening (4 PM to 8 PM). Trains will be available with a headway varying from 2’44’’ to 5’28” (at different stretches) with 57 trains performing around 462 trips. The same will be further extended in a graded manner from 9th to 12th September along with other Lines”, said Mr. Anuj Dayal, the Executive Director of Corporate Communications at DMRC.
“The resumption of services with a new normal to prevent the spread of Covid-19 desires public to understand and co-operate with DMRC/CISF personnel on few aspects for a comfortable and safe commuting experience”, a statement released by DMRC said.
The key guidelines are as follows :-
USE EARMARKED GATES ONLY: To maintain orderliness and regulate the flow of passengers with social distancing norms, only one or two gates will be kept open for entry /exit of passengers at a station. Therefore, passengers are advised to check the earmarked Gate number/location well in advance from DMRC website www.delhimetrorail.com
ABIDE BY NEW NORMS: Apart from regular frontline staff at the stations, DMRC has made additional deployment of around 1000 officials/staff across the line(s)/network to assist and guide passengers in the wake of new norms of Metro travel which may take some time to settle in. All staff have been advised to manage the passengers with a positive and caring attitude in these testing times with an initial focus on sensitising rather than punitive, on new norms to be followed continuously during the journey for their own and everyone’s safety. All passengers are appealed to cooperate with the personnel on duty and keep listening to announcements on guidelines to be followed or updates on journey/services if any.
TRAIN REGULATION: Though DMRC is making all-out efforts to provide its passengers with a continuous and seamless travel experience, however, with the carrying capacity of a train drastically reduced to around 20% of the pre-lockdown period due to social distancing norms, it will be a challenge to regulate the passengers who may head to a station with the expectations of the pre-lockdown travel experience by the Metro. Therefore, in this changed scenario, the public is advised to:-
a. Avoid unnecessary travel as far as possible. Try to stagger travel timings for office/home/other works to the extent possible so that the carrying capacity offered with new norms can be reasonably utilised by creating a travel pattern in which people are not rushing to the station in morning or peak hours only. Rather, they are coming equitably at all hours of the operational timings of the Metro services to ‘break the peak’- a requirement of the present times. Besides ‘Break the Peak’, DMRC appeals to commuters to ‘Talk Less’ during travel in the Metro to prevent the possibility of short-range aerosol transmission.
b. To prevent the overcrowding in trains/stations, situations might arise wherein, DMRC may have to opt for starting certain empty trains from terminal stations or short loop some trains to manage the crowded zones on a particular route/section. This dynamic regulation of train movement will be based on the ground situation at given hours and one may have to skip a train or two, leading to extra time in completing the travel. Similarly, dwell time is also increased by 10-20 seconds at stations for boarding-deboarding to ensure social distancing. This may also increase the total travel time in a journey by a few minutes. In view of these factors, passengers are advised to keep extra time of about 15 to 30 minutes for each travel, to be on time for their desired destinations.
c. Use of ‘AarogyaSetu’ app with regular health status update is advisable for commuters with smart phones.
CASHLESS TRANSACTIONS: Be a smart passenger and carry your smart card with you while heading for the Metro. It is contactless, easily rechargeable through online modes and offers a discount up to 20% on every travel. Tokens will not be available at the stations for the time being as they need frequent human interface for travel transactions and pose a risk of Coronavirus infection so a SMART CARD IS A MUST for travel. Transactions involving the exchange of cash for recharge/refund of smart cards will not be permitted for the time being as the physical handling of currency may lead to transmission of coronavirus. The commuters are requested to cooperate with DMRC staff in this aspect to prevent the spread of virus.
No SERVICE IN CONTAINMENT ZONES: Since Delhi Metro operates in Delhi-NCR, it will not be providing services to such stations which fall under the containment zones for any given day in any of the state(s). State governments of Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh notify such zones on a regular basis on their websites. If any of the station(s) happen to fall in such zone, the same will also be made public through announcements at stations/trains and through social media updates as and when brought to the notice of DMRC by authorities concerned or observed by DMRC officials who will also keep a check on thedaily updated list of containment zones on respective websites. Since most of the Metro stations lie on themedian of the roads, there is a slim chance for stations to fall in the containment zone as a regular practice.
CIVIL DEFENCE VOLUNTEERS/ANTIGEN TESTING OF STAFF: For better management of crowd at/outside stations, DMRC is also in touch with the authorities to provide around 1000 civil defence volunteers. Some major stations have also been identified where law enforcement agencies such as local police, etc., will be roped in to monitor law and order situation outside vulnerable areas. Also, a request has been made to the authorities to arrange for the antigen testing of around 15000 staff of DMRC who will be handling the public throughout the day now. This will go a long way in ensuring COVID free atmosphere in running the services.
TRAVEL LIGHT: Public is advised to travel with minimum luggage and avoid carrying metallic items for a faster frisking at entry points. Keep only pocket-size hand sanitizers, if any, during the travel. Hand sanitizers will not be permitted beyond 30 ml quantity from the safety point of view.
Delhi Metro operates 389 KM of Metro network with 285 stations in Delhi-NCR including Rapid Metro in Gurugram and Aqua Line of Noida-Greater Noida Metro. About 70% of its passengers used to travel by using the Smart Cards. Overall passenger journeys performed in a day before the Covid-19 stuck our country was around 60 lakhs.
Noida (Metro Rail News):Noida Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (NMRC’s) Operations team conducted a detailed inspection of the complete Aqua-Line on Saturday to check out the health of the Metro system and to avoid any last-minute glitches in Metro Operations when it reopens on 7th September 2020. The inspection was carried in the presence of Mr. Ravindra Saxena, Chief Operating Officer (NMRC) and other officers of the Operations, Electrical and Rolling Stock team.
“All the systems were thoroughly checked by the officials. All the officials travelled in a Rail Motor Trolley to check the tracks and signalling from the Depot station in Greater Noida to Sector”, a statement released by NMRC said.
The inspection was also done to check the preparedness of NMRC for beginning Metro services after the lockdown of almost 5 months and to fill lapses, if any.
Fine On Spitting And Travelling Without Mask
Always Wear Mask
To ensure strict compliance of the guidelines which have been issued by NMRC for travelling in the Aqua Line, NMRC will be imposing fines on commuters who are found travelling without masks and spitting inside Metro stations and trains or any other metro premises.
“Passengers found spitting inside Metro stations, trains or any other metro premises will have to pay a fine of Rs. 100 at the first time and Rs. 500 for any subsequent occurrence. Passengers found travelling without masks in the Metro trains, stations or any other Metro premises will have to pay a fine of Rs. 500, said the statement.
“These penalties will be imposed strictly by the NMRC staff so that NMRC commuters follow the guidelines and help NMRC in preventing the spread of the Corona Virus”, said Mrs. Ritu Maheshwari, the Managing Director of NMRC.
To encourage Use of Cashless Ticketing, the NMRC is spreading the message of using cashless ticketing options among its commuters like use of Smart Card and QR code generated by NMRCs mobile App.
NMRC currently has 3 ticketing option
Use of Contactless Smart Card Use of QR code generated by NMRCs Mobile App. This QR code can also be scanned without touching the smart phone with the Automatic Fare Collection (AFC) gates.
Use of paper generated QR Code which can be purchased from the Metro stations.
“NMRC is encouraging its commuters to use the first two options as much as possible to help in minimising human contact and help in keeping our commuters safe”, said Mrs. Maheshwari.
New Delhi (Metro Rail News): The district administration will appoint a supervisor each for all five metro stations in the city falling on the Yellow Line for close coordination with the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) so as to ensure smooth operations when the metro service restarts on Monday. The district administration held a meeting with DMRC officials on Thursday and discussed measures to prevent crowding at metro stations and also to ensure screening of passengers is done effectively for Covid-19.
Deputy Commissioner Mr. Amit Khatri said that a supervisor would be appointed for each of the five stations — Guru Dronacharya, Sikanderpur, MG Road, Iffco Chowk, Huda City Centre — to coordinate with local DMRC officials and a nodal officer will be appointed to coordinate the entire exercise of resuming the operation and safe movement of passengers. “All efforts would be made to prevent crowding and to ensure safe movement of passengers,” he added.
He further said steps would also be taken so that autos and rickshaws outside stations are regulated in a proper manner and the commuters do not face any problem in last mile connectivity.
DMRC will also motivate passengers to download the Aarogya Setu application on their mobile phones and there would be signages for entry and exit, standing and keeping distance, he added. Each passenger will be allowed to sit on an alternate seat inside the train and tickets will be issued only through digital transactions. The trains would be sanitized after every trip according to official sources.
