Plans to decongest entry, exit points at stations hit space constraints

The unexpected growth in commuter traffic has not only congested Metro trains but also the entry and exit points of many stations.

The unexpected growth in commuter traffic has not only congested Metro trains but also the entry and exit points of many stations.

There are stations where the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) is left with no space to expand. For example, at New Delhi railway station, despite trying everything DMRC is unable to put any infrastructure due to lack of space.

Moving step by step, DMRC is identifying congested stations and making changes for smooth flow of passengers. To start with, changes have been made at Rajiv Chowk station, at HUDA City Centre an overbridge is being constructed to ensure entry and exit points are at different floors. Similarly, at Kirti Nagar, to decongest the station, DMRC will use different floors for entry and exit of passengers.

“From opening the viewer’s gallery to putting additional automated fare collection exit gates, we have made several changes at Rajiv Chowk Metro station. HUDA City Centre was another station where there is a long queue for entry and exit. To solve this, we are constructing a bridge that will take passengers directly to first floor. With this we can have entry and exit points at separate floors,” said a DMRC official.

DMRC is adopting a similar plan at Kirti Nagar Metro station, where the queue at security check and queue at token counter merge leaving no space for passengers coming out of the station. “At these stations, we have space so we can think of expansion. There are other stations such as New Delhi railway station and Laxmi Nagar where the problem of congestion exists but we are unable to expand. We are thinking of alternatives to decongest these stations,” the official added.

According to DMRC, almost 70 per cent of the traffic enters Rajiv Chowk through the A and F blocks which are on the same side. After the opening of the viewer’s gallery, the passengers will be able to go to blocks B and D without entering the platform and passing through the foot-over bridge.

Ridership of Rajiv Chowk is around 50,000 but the interchange footfall is around 5 lakh per day. DMRC said that it will ensure distribution of passengers evenly in the paid area as people will be able to reach the right side of the platform by taking the right entry side from viewer’s gallery itself.

DMRC has installed signages at the entry gates, station area and viewers gallery to inform the passengers about platforms, destinations, direction of movement and gates to be used.