With 16 interchange stations, Metro ridership to receive major boost
NEW DELHI: With the Majlis Park–durgabai Deshmukh South Campus section of Delhi Metro's Pink Line opening for the public on Wednesday, the total number of interchange stations in the Metro network has now increased to sixteen.
“These interchange stations will enable both new and existing commuters of Delhi Metro to have access to a number of alternate and shorter routes from one point to another point across Delhi-ncr, resulting into saving of time and money,” said an official of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation.
According to a DMRC statement, for the first time, a record five new interchange stations have been added to the Metro network in just little over a two month-period.
Two interchange stations – i.e. Botanical Garden and Kalkaji Mandir – were added to Magenta Line in late 2017, with the opening of the Botanical Garden to Kalkaji Mandir section.
Three new interchange stations – i.e. Azadpur, Netaji Subash Place and Rajouri Garden – came up between Majlis Park and Durgabhai Deshmukh South Campus station, with Wednesday's inauguration of Pink Line.
The other eleven existing interchange stations are Kashmere Gate, Rajiv Chowk, Central Secretariat, Sikanderpur, Yamuna Bank, Kirti Nagar, Dwarka Sector-21, New Delhi, Ashok Park Main, Inderlok and Mandi House.
The DMRC statement further reads that these new sections and interchange stations of Phase-iii will not only help in addition of new passengers, but also realign and decongest some of the existing stations, once the entire Phase –III becomes operational.
It also noted that after a drop in October 2017, Metro ridership has registered a steady increase.
In January 2018, the overall ridership of Delhi Metro was 69,000 more than the preceding month. Moreover, the average monthly ridership increased further by 80,000 passengers in February.
“In December, the Delhi Metro network expanded by 12.94 km, with the opening of the Botanical Garden–kalkaji Mandir section. The average daily ridership of this newly opened section was about 45,000 in January 2018. In addition to this, about 24,000 more commuters travelled by the Metro everyday in Janu- ary, in comparison to December 2017.
“In February, 2018, about 49,000 passengers travelled by Magenta Line everyday, which again indicates that in the rest of the corridors, there was an increase of over 30,000 everyday,” the statement reads.
“The highest ridership achieved in December 2017 was 25.64 lakh, while in January 2018, the same figure stood at 26.85 lakh. The highest ridership ever in February is 26.98 lakh,” the official added.