It has been 21 years of the Delhi Metro, 21 years of a public transport system that has been the great class leveller and transformed the way Dellhiites work, party and manage their hectic lives in a city that stretches across three states. From its humble beginning in December 2002 with a corridor of just 8.2 km spanning six stations on the Red Line, the Delhi Metro has grown into a network of over 393 kms and 288 stations  in 2023, completing an eventful journey of 21 years of operations. Delhi Metro had begun its commercial operations on December 25, 2002, a day after then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had inaugurated DMRC’s first stretch from Shahdara to Tis Hazari on the Red Line.

Since then, the Delhi Metro has emerged as the lifeline of the city of Delhi and the entire National Capital Region. More than six million passenger journeys are being performed every single day on the Delhi Metro making it one of the largest mass transit systems in the entire world. The multi-hued network now with lines in yellow, blue, green, grey and in multiple shades of pink, including magenta and violet transformed the landscape of the city and boosted its transport infrastructure.

In the last 21 years, more than 380 km of additional lines have been laid in the NCR, which is a “staggering feat” and probably, the biggest infrastructure marvel created in the country, the Delhi Metro said in a statement on Sunday.

In addition, another 65 km of new lines are being laid across the national capital, which will take the network length beyond 400 km in days to come, it said.

The Delhi Metro said 2023 was also a “year of achievements” for the urban transporter.  From the September 17, the DMRC started to operate the Airport Express Line at a “massive speed of 120 kilometres per hour”.

“This historic increase in speed of India’s fastest Metro corridor gradually from 90 kmph to 120 kmph was made possible by meticulous planning and time-bound implementation by DMRC’s engineers in consultation with a number of other government agencies and domain experts,” the statement said.

 The total journey from New Delhi to Yashobhoomi Dwarka Sector-25 now takes about 21 minutes. Earlier, the travel time between New Delhi and Dwarka Sector 21 was approximately 22 minutes and now it has reduced to around 19 minutes between these two stations, which saves three minutes.

 The approximate travel time between New Delhi and Terminal 3 Airport is now about 15 minutes and 30 seconds. Earlier, it was a little more than 18 minutes.

 In the year gone by, the Delhi Metro introduced a number of new digital ticketing solutions that have made ticketing extremely convenient. While the entire system was made compliant with the National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) system, a QR code-based ticketing system was also introduced whereby now commuters can purchase QR code paper tickets or QR code tickets on the app, officials said.  On November 1, the Delhi Metro achieved a milestone with the launch of ‘Momentum 2.0,’ an innovative platform set to redefine the daily commuting experience for millions in the NCR.

 The app -- ‘Momentum 2.0’ -- provides instant and direct access to services such as Integrated QR Ticketing (mainline and airport line), a wide array of e-shopping choices, digital lockers for quick and safe deliveries, smart utility payments and last-mile connectivity options, the statement said.