Delhi Metro revises plan for six-day lockdown, increases train frequency

The DMRC increased the frequency of metro trains from 30 minutes to 15 minutes during the peak hours

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) on Tuesday revised its operational plan for the six-day lockdown period and increased the frequency of metro trains from 30 minutes to 15 minutes during the peak hours.

For the rest of the hours of the day, the frequency was increased from 60 minutes to 30 minutes. It also increased the city metro's operation timing during the peak hours, it said.

On Monday, the DMRC said that services during the lockdown period for peak hours -- morning (8 am to 10 am) and evening (5 pm to 7 pm) -- across the network will be available with a frequency of 30 minutes.

"To offer more capacity in compliance to 50 per cent seating provision with no standing to eligible people travelling by the metro during the curfew period, which is imposed in NCT of Delhi till 5 am of 26th April 2021, the DMRC has now decided to revise its operational plan with immediate effect," said the DMRC in its statement.

While services during the morning (7 am to 11 am) and evening (4 pm to 8 pm) peak hours across the network will be available with a headway (frequency) of 15 minutes, for the rest of the hours of the day, services across the network will be available with a frequency of 30 minutes, it informed.

The decision comes after the DMRC earlier in the day temporarily closed entry points of several metro stations to ensure social distancing of passengers.

Metro services can be availed only by the exempted category of people on production of valid identity proof.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had announced a six-day lockdown in Delhi to deal with the rising number of COVID-19 cases as the city''s health system was stretched to its limits.