Delhi Metro Won't Offer Overnight Service, Says Puri
Attending a late night office party in Gurgaon, while we had fun, we also kept a constant tab on the time as we did not want to miss on the last train that leaves from the HUDA City Centre Metro Station at 11:30 pm. Had the train services been available all night, there would have been no worry at all. In case you have been expecting the Delhi Metro to launch overnight operations, you are set to be disappointed.
Housing Minister Hardeep Singh Puri recently told the Lok Sabha that the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) had no such plans. Puri was responding to a query wherein it was asked whether the DMRC is planning to start Metro services during the night on the lines of the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) bus services, for the convenience of passengers.
"The DMRC has informed that they have no plan to operate Metro rail during the night as the maintenance of the trains is carried out during that time," Puri said.
In July last year DMRC Managing Director Mangu Singh said there were no plans to operate overnight trains on the Airport Line, a proposal which was floated in 2016.
Since we are here, let us have a look when the first and the last train starts from key Metro stations.
First trains on various Metro routes:
* Airport Line: 4:45 am
* From Dwarka Sector 21: 6:00 am
*From Dilshad Garden: 5.30 am
*From Jhangirpuri: 6:00 am
*From Vishwavidyalya: 5:00 am
*From Huda City Centre: 5:45 am
*From Vaishali: 6:00 am
*From Noida City Centre: 6:00 am
*From Inderlok: 6:00 am
*From Kirtinagar: 6:00 am
*From Mundka: 5:10 am
*From Mundka: 5:25 am
Last trains on various Metro routes:
*Airport Line: 11.30 pm
*From Dilshad Garden: 23:00 pm
*From Rithala: 23:31 pm
* From Dwarka Sector 21: 22:30 pm
*From Jhangirpuri: 23:18 pm
*From Huda City Centre: 23:30 pm
*From Vaishali: 23:05 pm
*From Noida City Centre: 23:05 pm
*From Inderlok: 23:30 pm
*From Kirtinagar: 23:30 pm
*From Mundka: 23:06 pm
Metros that run overnight
Delhi may not yet be ready for overnight operations of the Metro, but, some cities in the world already provide their people these facilities.
New York: The 113-year-old subway system runs 24 hours on 230 miles of tracks around the year.
Melbourne: The all-night Metro services in Melbourne operate every Friday and Saturday night. This Night Network, according to the official site of Public Transport Victoria, "lets you explore the city's vibrant nightlife safely and conveniently".
London: Known as the Night Tube, the overnight Metro trains in London started its operations in August 2016. The services initially began on the Central and Victoria lines. It was later that night services were started on the Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly lines in two separate phases.
With inputs from Housing News