By IANS,
New Delhi : Commuters on the Jahangirpuri-HUDA City Centre corridor can heave a sigh of relief as Delhi Metro has inducted its first-ever eight-coach trains Monday, which would provide more space and save the commuters from the perennial jostling.
“The first two eight-coach trains started functioning at 11.30 a.m. today (Monday). The eight-coach trains were introduced to mark the completion of 10 years of its operations in Delhi,” a Delhi Metro official said.
According to Delhi Metro officials, the eight-coach trains will have a capacity of carrying about 2,400 commuters, or nearly 300 passengers in each coach.
“Out of 68 eight-coach trains, 37 will ply on the Yellow Line (Jahangirpuri-HUDA City Centre) and 31 on the Blue Line (Dwarka Sec-21 to Noida City Centre/Vaishali) … these will be inducted in a phased manner,” the official said.
Delhi Metro has also decided to reserve more seats for senior citizens and the disabled.
“Four additional seats will be earmarked for senior citizens and physically challenged people in the coach having train operator’s cabin and eight seats in the middle coaches,” the Metro official said.
At present, the six and four-coach trains have four seats reserved for the aged and the disabled in each car of a train.
Delhi Metro has also initiated programmes like exhibitions, quiz contests, and sale of commemorative smart cards, which will go on till Dec 31.
Due to protests in the city, DMRC has postponed its ten-year anniversary celebrations, which were supposed to be held on Monday at Rajiv Chowk.
The new age transport system had scheduled a programme on Monday to celebrate completion of 10 years of its operations in the capital, with union Urban Development Minister Kamal Nath and Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit slated to take part.
The Delhi Metro normally makes over 2,700 trips a day, covering about 70,000 km and carrying around 1.8 million passengers on weekdays.