Platform screen doors made functional at Chandni Chowk, Chawri Bazar metro stations

The Delhi Metro today made operational the newly installed platform screen doors (PSDs) at the Chawri Bazar and Chandni Chowk stations on the Yellow Line, bolstering the security infrastructure there, officials said.

Four more stations on the line -- New Delhi, Central Secretariat, Rajiv Chowk and Kashmere Gate -- will get PSDs shortly.

The installation and commissioning of PSDs at these stations will be done in a phased manner after examining their performance at the Chandni Chowk and Chawri Bazar stations, a senior Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) official said.

This is the first time that the Delhi Metro has installed PSDs at the already existing operational Metro stations, the DMRC said.

Currently, the Airport Express Line and and the newly opened stretches of the Magenta and Pink Lines have PSDs at all their stations.

All upcoming stations on these two lines (Pink, Magenta) will have PSDs -- mechanised screens which act as barriers between the platform and the tracks.

The Chawri Bazar and Chandni Chowk areas are located in crowded Old Delhi, and the two metro stations receive a huge footfall daily.

"PSDs will help in better crowd management at these busy stations and at the same time prevent any untoward incidents on the metro premises, like jumping or falling on the tracks," the official said.

PSDs were installed at the two stations on the nearly 50 km-long corridor that connects Samaypur Badli in north Delhi to Huda City Centre in Gurgaon.

"The installation and commissioning of these doors at the already operational stations was a major challenge as PSDs could be installed only during non-revenue hours depending on the availability of blocks during late night hours after the close of passenger services.

"A lot of integration was required with various components of metro operations for smooth installation. The software was required to be upgraded for coordinated movement of the doors. The movement of commuters was also regularised during the day when installation was in progress," he said.

All stations from Botanical Garden to Kalkaji Mandir section of Line 8 (Magenta Line) and Majlis Park to Durgabai Deshmukh South Campus stretch of Line 7 (Pink Line) have PSDs.