The metro is Delhi’s pride as well as its lifeline

It has been beneficial for women and has given urban renewal a big boost

In the 15 years since it’s inauguration in December 2002, the Delhi Metro has become an everyday part of the Delhiite’s life. As it winds its way around the elevated corridors and deep tunnels of the city, the ways in which it has changed life around it are not immediately evident. In a city notorious for its aggression, the metro gave women a chance to stay out late — at least as late as the metro timings allowed. Special women’s compartments in every train have added to the feeling of being in a ‘safe’ space, even if incidents of theft are rising. Parts of central Delhi have witnessed an urban renewal that would not have been possible without the metro. And some far-flung suburbs have seen the kind of development that would have been inconceivable without the network effect.

The metro taught Delhiites how public transport can save time and make travelling less arduous. Many who swore by their own vehicles have embraced the idea of travelling by the metro. A parallel ecosystem of hawkers, vendors, and rickshaws that have mushroomed around stations have given the city a more dynamic sense of movement, even after it gets dark. The network that connects about 180 stations in and around the city has made it easier to visit far-off places, and even made famous places (that are also famously congested) such as Chandni Chowk easier to visit. It is also the first railway project in the world to earn carbon credits under the Clean Development Mechanism.

Delhi cannot call itself a ‘world class’ city in terms of public transport yet, though. Last mile connectivity remains a major drawback due to the lack of dependable feeder services. Safety around the stations remains a concern. An integrated multimodal public transport system that a city as vast as Delhi desperately is a distant dream. But until that dream can be realised, the metro remains the pride and joy of the residents of Delhi -- and the envy of the residents of every other Indian city.