Delhi metro to overhaul 10 oldest trains so passengers have uniform experience

Metro services are currently unavailable due to the coronavirus pandemic. While a detailed Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) has been chalked out for managing services, the Centre is yet to approve resumptions of operations.

Refurbishment work will be carried out at the DMRC’s Shastri Park, Najafgarh and Yamuna Bank depots, according to the tender document. There are over 280 such coaches, making up around 70 trains, which have been operational since 2002.

A DMRC official said Metro coaches have a lifespan of around 30-35 years. But to ensure longevity, such mid-life interventions are required to resolve issues arising out of prolonged wear and tear.

Metro operations had started in Delhi in 2002 along the 8.3-km stretch between Tis Hazari and Shahdara stations on the Red Line. The Metro network now has 285 stations.

The Red Line connects Rithala with Ghaziabad’s Shaheed Sthal while the Blue Line, which has two arms, connects Dwarka Sector 21 with Noida Electronic City and Vaishali.

The overhaul will cover flooring, space between two coaches, interiors, charging facilities, display panels, CCTVs and safety systems including smoke and fire detection. The estimated cost of the project is Rs 62.28 crore.
Trains plying on corridors built under Metro’s Phase III expansion such as Pink and Magenta Lines are equipped with features such as stretched digital display panels, vibration and heat insulators, USB ports for charging mobiles and laptops among others.

The old coaches, especially on the Red Line and Blue Line, lack many of these features. After the overhaul, these coaches will also have panels displaying real-time train movement between stations, CCTVs, along with arrangements of the video feed being available inside the train operators’ cabin.

DMRC has also used the lockdown period to spruce up the air-conditioning system of over 2,200 coaches, inspect 1,100 escalators and 1,000 lifts. Metro services had come to a complete halt on March 22, the day ‘janata curfew’ was observed in the country.

Such an extensive cleaning exercise could not be undertaken before as trains run up to 20 hours a day, from dawn till midnight. The cleaning exercise would result in a better air-conditioned environment in summers, a DMRC official added.

However, the lockdown has deprived Metro of revenues running into hundreds of crore.

The Indian Express had reported on June 3 that the DMRC earns an average of Rs 9 crore as revenue from ridership on usual weekdays. This excludes the DMRC’s earnings from other sources such as advertisements, property development, feeder buses and consultancy.