Delhi Metro back on track, to ply half of its trains on Monday

Entry at stations will continue to be regulated through identified gates as was the practice earlier, the DMRC said.

Photo courtesy: Reuters

New Delhi: Only half of Delhi Metro's available trains will be in service at a frequency of five to fifteen minutes on Monday (June 7) when the rapid transport system resumes operation with 50 per cent seating capacity in view of improving the COVID-19 situation.

The number of trains in service will be increased in a graded manner, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) said on Saturday (June 5).

Apart from allowing metro trains to operate with half its capacity, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday announced various relaxations, including permitting shops in markets and malls to reopen on an odd-even basis from June 7.

He said the COVID-19 situation has been gradually improving, in view of which the process of unlocking was started last week.

Delhi recorded 414 new cases of COVID-19, the lowest in over two-and-a-half months, and 60 fatalities on Saturday. The positivity rate has dipped to 0.53 per cent, according to health department data.

DMRC Services Update

In the wake of revised guidelines issued today by the Govt. of NCT of Delhi; on the extension of Curfew in Delhi for the containment of Covid-19, the Delhi Metro services will be resumed for general public from 7th June 2021 with 50% seating capacity only. — Delhi Metro Rail Corporation I कृपया मास्क पहनें (@OfficialDMRC) June 5, 2021

The DMRC, in a statement, said in view of the revised guidelines issued on Saturday by the Delhi government, metro services will resume for the public from June 7 with 50 per seating capacity only.

"On Monday, only half of the available trains will be inducted into service with a frequency ranging from approximately five to 15 minutes on different lines. The number of trains will be inducted in full strength in a graded manner by Wednesday and thereafter services will be available as per normal frequency as before the lockdown," it said.

People are advised to cooperate with the metro authorities in ensuring compliance to Covid-appropriate behaviour throughout their travel, officials said.

"Passengers will be allowed to travel by seating only on alternate seats with no provision for standing travel till further directions. In view of this stipulation, the capacity utilisation of the system will be around 10 to 15 per cent of its total capacity available in normal days," an official said.

The DMRC said that in order to ensure social distancing and compliance to 50 per cent seating inside trains, people are also advised to take extra time for their daily commute and exhibit Covid-appropriate behaviour outside the stations also while waiting for their turn to enter the station.

Entry at stations will continue to be regulated through identified gates as was the practice earlier.

The DMRC will be writing to appropriate authorities for maintenance of law and order outside metro stations as the services resume from Monday, officials said.

The Covid-induced lockdown in Delhi was imposed on April 19 and successively extended by the city government.

Initially, metro services were partial, catering only to people engaged in essential services. However, from May 10, the service was suspended in view of rising cases amid a second wave of the COVID-19 infection.