The Delhi Metro has missed its deadline for introducing eight-coach trains, though new coaches have arrived and trials have been conducted. The agency now plans to press two eight-coach trains into service on the Gurgaon-Jahangirpuri route in the third week of December. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) intended to introduce by November eight-coach trains on two of its busiest lines, the Gurgaon-Jahangirpuri and Noida-Dwarka routes, in a bid to reduce overcrowding in trains. The DMRC missed its deadline because it could not prepare the platforms at two of its busiest stations for longer trains. The routes account for 60% of the Metro’s daily ridership of over 20 lakh.

Mangu Singh, the DMRC chief, said the utility was yet to complete the shifting of railings at Rajiv Chowk and Kashmere Gate Metro stations, which led to the delay.

“We have to change the position of railings on the platforms of the two stations so that commuters can board and get down from the eight-coach trains. This cannot be done while the Metro trains are running because of the commuter rush in the stations,” Singh said.

“I hope that by December 20, the platforms in the stations will be ready and we can introduce at least two eight-coach trains on line No. 2 (the Gurgaon-Jahangirpuri route),” he added.

The DMRC conducted trial runs of the trains for about four months until October.

According to DMRC officials, a four-coach train can carry 1,480 passengers. The number can go up to about 2,220 in six-coach trains and about 3,000 in eight-coach trains.

Feeder bus deadline
The DMRC has also missed the deadline for introduction of 300 feeder buses. They were scheduled to be introduced on city roads by November.

The November deadline was set by the DMRC after a parliamentary panel on urban development had asked it in April to ensure that new feeder buses begin plying in six months.