Delhi, being the capital city in India is also one of the busiest, populated and among the top tourist in the country. Given the density of the capital city, public transport and traffic are always congested. It is never on time that an office goer or school/college goer is able to conveniently reach their place of destination on time without hustle. This thought has made the government come up with excellent metro train network within the city. This form of public transport provides air-conditioned train network in the city which was started back in 2002. Presently, metro even connects the outer areas of Delhi such as Faridabad, Noida, Gurgaon, and Ghaziabad.
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Lines and Stations of Delhi Metro
There are five lines (and other three more under construction lines) currently in Delhi metro, along with Airport express line. This development of the metro network in Delhi took around 20 years. Hence each phase took around three to five years for completion which focused on connecting various parts of the city. In fact, the red line project is certified by the UN for reducing the greenhouse gas secretion and is the first railway network in the world to do so. This plan connects northeast and northwest part of Delhi.
Tickets of Delhi Metro
The minimum fare of the ticket in Delhi metro travel costs Rs. 10 and the maximum go up to Rs. 50. There is also tourist cards where the tourists can avail unlimited travel on all lines except the airport express line. The one day card here costs Rs. 100 and three day costs Rs. 250. The tickets are issued as cards or token and has to be purchased or refilled at counters in the metro stations.
Delhi Metro Timetable
The first train in the metro network runs from around 5.30 AM in the morning and runs until 11.30 PM at night. However, the airport express line begins earlier than this. The frequency of train in each network depends on crowd, demand, and timings. In most of the peak hours, there is one metro in every few minutes. There is also a special women-only carriage in every metro.
Airport Express Line
The express line here is famous for the high-speed travel and runs from Delhi Airport. It runs from New Delhi to the airport and vice versa. The total time takes only twenty minutes for one side travel, thus making it convenient for flyers. On the other hand, normal transport to the airport via road takes hours to reach depending on the traffic situation. Few flight carriers also gave check-in baggage option in few metro stations even before boarding the metro or reaching the airport.
Top tourist points and the metro networks
One can scale Delhi in shoestring budget through its metro line. There are stops around various tourist spots which can facilitate tourists to enjoy the city. One can also choose to purchase an unlimited travel tourist card for convenience. Here are a few lists of stations to halt for enjoying the attractions.
- Chandini Chowk is a major spot for shopping around Delhi and the market is walking distance from its metro stations and from Jama Masjid, Red Fort and Old Delhi.
- Central Secretariat is in heart of the city where you can also access the National gallery of Modern art and Rashtrapati Bhavan. You can also access India Gate and Purana Quila after getting down of the metro there.
- Rajiv Chowk is a market for shopping and is close to the famous Connaught place and Janpath market. One can also access nearby markets from the station.
- One can get back at Jorbagh to access Lodhi gardens and Safdarjung Tomb.
- Racecourse metro station gives access to those who want to visit Indira Gandhi Musem and Gandhi Smriti museum.
- For shopping handicrafts and related items, no one disputes Dilli Haat. One can get down at INA for accessing this prominent place for souvenir shopping.
- Hauz Khas has been always on top of the list for youngsters who wants to access nightlife, bars, boutiques and similar.
- There is also Qutub Minar metro station which gives access to the historic monument of Delhi. It is one of the most important tourist attraction.
- One can access Humayun Tomb through getting down at Pragati Maidan metro station.
Further, the metro line networks can be interchanged and connected via a few of the large metro stations. One can change the lines and access other points through this interchanging stations. There also exists heritage line which connects the most visited and sought tourist spots in the city of Delhi such as Red Fort, Jama Masjid, Delhi Gate and others.
With its high density of population and being a center for several activities in the country, Delhi for sure is one of the cities with heavy traffic problems. The metro network has made the life of Delhi-ites easier through convenient connection for easy, affordable and safe travel.