Delhi's Metro is it lifeline! And it has seen passenger service growth, as revealed by Delhi Metro Rail Corporation.

Although the traffic has grown as compared to the figures from the pre-COVID-19 era.

Even as the number of passengers continues to rise, the DMRC has no plans to extend the metro timings beyond 5:30 am to 11:30 pm.

When asked if they will be making changes in the timings, a DMRC official said, “There is a little window for metros to run beyond 5:30 am and 11:30 pm since each train needs time and attention for maintenance at the depots.”

Recently there were some delays observed in the arrival of trains at interchanging metro stations. However, the official said the delays were only temporary and the issue has been resolved now, adding that the headway at the busiest stations are already quite low and the trains are arriving there within seconds.

Asked to elaborate on the issue which led to the delays, the official said, “DMRC is running more than 360 trains, so it probably was a minor technical issue that lasted only for a few minutes. Also, some passenger died by suicide that led to some delay.” She added that DMRC maintains over 99% punctuality when it comes to its metro timings and service.

As per the data shared by DMRC, in the period between March and August 2023, the Delhi Metro consistently surpassed its pre-COVID-19 passenger journeys. Each month saw a rise of over 100% in comparison to the corresponding period in 2019, with June seeing the highest growth at 114.34%.

The data showed that the passenger journeys in August 2019 stood at 52,46,607, however, that jumped to 59,04,397 in August 2023, marking a 112.54% growth.

The DMRC also launched its mobile app, which has led to shift in the people’s preferred mode of purchasing tickets. As per the official, a lot of people are now opting to purchase their tickets via the app, making it easier for them to avoid queues and crowd at the station.