Delhi Metro to induct 68 eight-coach trains

NEW DELHI: Over-crowding in Metro trains could ease by the end of next year when the Delhi Metro will start inducting 68 eight-coach trains on its network.

The eight-coach trains, which will be the first of its kind in the country, will ply on the Noida/Vaishali and Gurgaon corridors - the most crowded lines on the network that now has 185 km of the national capital on its map.

Over-crowding is a major problem on the Delhi Metro which now has a ridership of over 20 lakh and the new age transport system has been taking a number of steps to reduce it like procuring additional coaches.

Once converted into eight-coach, a train can accommodate over 2,400 people per trip. Currently, a six-coach train can accommodate 1,800 passengers, a Delhi Metro spokesman said.

As part of its efforts, the Delhi Metro has placed orders for 212 cars from Mitsubishi-Rotem-Mitsubishi electrical and German train maker Bombardier and the delivery is expected to start in September next year and end in May, 2013.

While Mitsubishi-Rotem-Mitsubishi electrical will provide 136 coaches, Bombardier will supply 76 cars manufactured from its plant in Gujarat's Savli.

The move comes in the middle of Delhi Metro expanding its four-coach trains into six coaches and with the ridership increasing steadily, the organisation decided to further expand them to eight-coach ones.

Thirty-one four coach ROTEM trains on the over-crowded Noida and Vaishali Lines will be converted into eight coach trains, while 37 six-coach Bombardier trains will be expanded into eight-coach ones by May 2013.

" DMRC's effort is to constantly increase its carrying capacity to cater to the requirements of increased ridership and an expanding network," the spokesman said.