ITO-Kashmere Gate: Delhi Metro’s heritage line begins trial run this week

Delhi Metro begins this week the trial run of its much-anticipated heritage line that will take thousands of commuters into the heart of the centuries-old walled city and add three new stations to the network.

Delhi Metro begins this week the trial run of its much-anticipated heritage line that will take thousands of commuters into the heart of the centuries-old walled city and add three new stations to the network.

The line, part of the Metro’s Phase III and expected to open by November, is also set to ease congestion in the old city. (Shutterstock)

The new 5.1-kilometre-long stretch known as the Purple Line will connect ITO to Kashmere Gate via Jama Masjid, Delhi Gate and Red Fort – and is likely to become the favourite mode of transport for tourists hunting for a slice of history.

The line, part of the Metro’s Phase III and expected to open by November, is also set to ease congestion in the old city.

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The heritage line is only a slice of Delhi Metro’s grand plans over the next year when it throws open Phase III, adding 15 stations and 4.7 million passengers to the city’s transport lifeline.

When Phase III ends in December, Delhi Metro would have added 142.7 km of new lines to its existing 190-km network, surpassing mass-transit systems in Moscow, Seoul and Tokyo and be the world’s fourth-largest metro network.

Millions of citizens will be added to be grid with several new interchange points -- such as Dhaula Kuan, Mayur Vihar, Okhla and Greater Kailash.

As the Metro takes a leap into the future, HT will be your guide over the next few months to analysing the expansion, understanding the challenges and exploring expert advice on addressing problems.