Metro gears up for CWG, trains to run at 2.5 mins frequency

New Delhi: With thousands of tourists set to throng the capital during Commonwealth Games, Delhi Metro will run 181 trains at an average frequency of 2.5 minutes and deploy engineers from Germany and South Korea to ensure that operations are not disturbed due to technical glitches.

Unveiling the Delhi Metro's 'action plan' for the October Games, DMRC Managing Director E Sreedharan said the new age transport system was taking "very, very special steps" to facilitate the movement of people through Metro trains during the Games, which is a "matter of national pride".

"We are fully geared up to meet the requirements during the Games period. We want to see that every visitor who comes to Delhi and happens to take a ride on Metro goes back with a very pleasant memory," he told a press conference after launching a new Delhi Metro website.

"Our expectation is that there will be heavy pressure on Delhi Metro during the Games as it is the most important public transport system in the capital. Almost all the 181 trains of the Metro fleet will be put on the rails during the period," Sreedharan, also known as 'Metro Man' said.

He said the 181 trains, 133 broad gauge and 48 standard gauge, will run at an average frequency of 2.5 minutes.

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Metro connectivity is crucial for the Games and almost all the 11 stadiums are connected with the Metro.

While trains will run at a frequency of 3.40 minutes on Line 1 (Rithala-Rohini), Line 2 Central Secretariat to Gurgaon (2.30 min), Line 3 Dwaraka Sec 9-Noida City Centre (2.44 min), Line 6 Central Secretariat-Badarpur (2.25 min) and Line 5 Mundka-Indelok (5.11 min). Currently, the frequency is 3.5 minutes to 4 minutes.

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Line 6 will have the highest frequency as it connects the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, the venue of the opening and closing ceremonies of CWG.

Unwilling to take chances with technical glitches becoming a regular feature, Sreedharan said engineers from Germany and South Korea will be in the capital during the Games to ensure that there are no problems.

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"The problems occur either on Over Head Electrification (OHE), or on trains or due to signalling problems. We will have special technicians from Germany and Korea during the Games...they will be stationed at various vantage points," he said.

He also brushed aside suggestions that technical glitches occur only on Bombardier trains. "No. We had problems on Rotem trains also.... the trains have to be integrated into the system."

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The 78-year-old Metro chief also said the two remaining lines of the network - Central Secretariat-Badarpur and Airport Express Line - will be thrown open to the public by September 30, before the Commonwealth Games.

He said all stations will have 'Information Desks' to help commuters and give information they seek on Metro and related to the Games.