How Delhi Metro plans its Covid reset

NEW DELHI: Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) is completely prepared to resume operations with all safeguards and arrangements in place for commuters, if it is allowed to function when Unlock 4.0 kicks in.

Officials said they would need just two days to sanitise the metro network, which has been shut for over five months. However, even if services resume, a metro ride would be a completely different experience from earlier.


“DMRC will take the maximum precautions to safeguard the health of commuters once services resume. All protocols are in place and full care will be taken to sanitise the trains and stations,” said Anuj Dayal, executive director (corporate communications), DMRC. “The decision to open the system, however, rests with the government,” he added.

To begin with, only a limited section of commuters would be allowed once services start. These are likely to be government or PSU employees, apart from those engaged in essential services. They would be allowed to enter metro premises after an identification check. Sources said the general public might be allowed to travel in off-peak hours, but nothing was final till SOP for metro travel was announced by the Centre.

For ensuring social distancing, passenger movement would be regulated at the entry itself. A limited number of people would be allowed inside after thermal scanning, sources said. Only one entry and one exit gate would remain open at most stations to check and segregate passengers.

Detailed cleaning and maintenance procedures have been worked out for the 264 stations, over 2,200 coaches and more than 1,100 escalators and 1,000 elevators. All stations would be disinfected thoroughly at night and regular cleaning throughout the day would be carried out in passenger movement areas, such as concourse, passages, platforms, stairs, glasswork, steelwork, etc.

DMRC’s 8,000-strong housekeeping staff would clean and sanitise human contact areas like elevator buttons and escalator handrails every four hours. Provisions for sanitisation for all station staff and commuters have been made and 3,000 litres of hand sanitisers are expected to be used every day.

A one-metre distance would be maintained between commuters at the entry, security checkpoint, platforms and while standing inside coaches. Commuters would have to keep ample time at hand for boarding a train. People at stations would be monitored through CCTV cameras. To curb crowding, pushing and shoving at platforms, train doors would remain open for a longer duration compared with 10-20 seconds earlier. This would extend travelling time.

Not more than 50 commuters would be allowed per coach, including 25 seating. More than 50,000 stickers have been pasted in the coaches to mark alternate seats that have to be kept vacant. A six-coach train, which usually carried 1,800-2,100 passengers during peak hours, would carry 300-350 commuters now.

Tokens won’t be used anymore and cashless transactions through smart cards or QR code payments would become mandatory. Instead of the earlier 6am to 11am schedule, revenue hours could be limited between 7am and 8pm. There would also be no fixed frequency of trains and the number of trips would depend on demand.

A temperature of 26 degrees Celsius would be maintained inside coaches and underground stations. The heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems of coaches have been overhauled to allow better air circulation.