By IANS,
New Delhi : The Delhi Metro set a new record by transporting 1,092,780 passengers Wednesday, it was announced Thursday.
“Delhi Metro has achieved another milestone, recording its highest ever ridership figure in a day with nearly 11 lakh (1.1 million) people travelling on the system Wednesday,” Delhi Metro spokesman Anuj Dayal said.
The figure surpassed the earlier record set April 19 when 1,058,664 people travelled by the mass transit network connecting various parts of the national capital and the suburbs.
On Wednesday when commuters were forced to stay off roads in central Delhi thanks to the Bharatiya Janata Party’s anti-price rise mass rally, the metro’s line 3 connecting southwest Delhi’s Dwarka Sector 9 to Noida City Centre recorded the highest footfall at 463,523 followed by line 2 (Jehangirpuri to Central Secretariat) at 285,825 and line 1 (Rithala to Dilshad Garden) at 237,465.
“Since the inauguration of the Inderlok-Mundka corridor April 2, the total ridership of the Delhi Metro had been consistently crossing the 1 million mark,” Dayal said.
In a bid to tackle the rising footfall, Delhi Metro is increasing its 100 train-set fleet.
“Currently, there are over 100 trains in operation on the five Delhi Metro lines, with a new train being added on the system every 10 to 15 days,” Dayal said.
The metro makes over 1,900 trips on the five operational lines and covers a distance of 111 km. By October, ahead of the 2010 Commonwealth Games, it will access nearly all areas of the national capital as well as suburbs like Gurgaon, covering 190 km.