Delhi Metro revamps 12 old stations of Red Line, infrastructure upgraded

Twelve old stations of Delhi Metro's Red Line have been refurbished with upgraded infrastructure and enhanced look as part of a massive renovation exercise, officials said on Sunday.

A total of 21 stations are to be renovated as part of the plan, they said.

The Red Line was the first Delhi Metro corridor to have been operationalised, with the opening of the 8.4-km Shahdara-Tis Hazari section, comprising six stations in 2012.

"A massive renovation exercise was started by the DMRC from July 2019 onwards for 21 of its stations, between Dilshad Garden and Rithala section on the Red Line, which are among the oldest in the metro network opened under its phases I and II," the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) said in a statement.

The exercise was aimed at giving these old stations an "enhanced aesthetic look and to upgrade infrastructure to keep pace with the changing times, and ensuring an enhanced commuting experience to its customers," it said.

The massive renovation, completed for 12 of the 21 stations, included finishing or replacing the exterior facade with contemporary easy-to-maintain material, officials said.

Other activities include internal and external painting of stations;improvement of circulating area and footpath for beautification and aesthetics of station premises; installation of new signages as per latest specifications;and replacement of analogue CCTV cameras with digital version for enhanced clarity.

Major stations where the renovation work has almost completed include Dilshad Garden, Jhilmil, Mansarovar Park, Shahdara, Welcome and Shastri Park. The work at remaining metro stations will also be completed by May 2021, officials said.

To take stock of the ongoing renovation activities, DMRC chief Mangu Singh inspected various metro stations on the Red Line.

"This exercise has been accomplished in record time, despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to even temporary halt of all the activities in 2020. Similar exercises will also be carried out on other lines in a gradual manner to keep the system and its services as a world-class urban mass transport facility," the statement said.