The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) introduced its first ever eight-coach train on Monday, the same day its first train comprising four coaches was flagged off 10 years ago.

The first train started from Vishwavidyalaya at 11.30am and suspended at Qutub Minar. It was scheduled to be flagged off jointly by urban development minister Kamal Nath and Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit amid much fanfare. “(But) as we had to postpone our pre-scheduled programme of Delhi Metro's 10th anniversary celebration due to unrest in the city, the first train moved without being flagged off,” said an official of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC).

“Two eight-coach trains were pressed into service on Monday. We will induct a total of 68 eight-coach trains on the Jahangirpuri-Gurgaon and Noida-Dwarka lines by next year, ” said Anuj Dayal, spokesperson of DMRC.

“This is quite a relief for daily commuters like us. Now we hope that commuting by Metro will be comfortable,” said Sanjana Sharma, a commuter of the first eight coach train, who boarded the train at Viswavidyalaya and went up to Qutub Minar.

With eight coaches, the Metro will have a capacity of carrying 3,000 commuters as compared to six coach trains which carry about 2,200 commuters.  

The Delhi Metro was scheduled to commence eight-coach trains on the two busiest corridors— line 2 (Gurgaon-Jahangirpuri) and line 3 (Noida-Dwarka)— last month in a bid to provide more space and relief to passengers. But it failed to meet the deadline as it could not prepare the platforms of Rajiv Chowk and Kashmere Gate — the two busiest interchange stations.