In order to provide a smooth passage during the eve of Republic Day, the services of the Delhi Metro will be partially curtailed on Saturday as part of the security arrangements for the Republic Day celebrations as per the instructions of the Delhi Police.
Agencies have stepped up security at major public transport hubs in the Capital like the metro stations and the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport with deployment of 400 additional CISF personnel and multi-layered frisking of passengers and their luggage in view of the upcoming Republic Day celebrations, officials said on Wednesday.
fficials said, they added that while a metro passenger was being scrupulously frisked by two personnel at the time of entering a station, travellers at the airport were being asked to remove shoes, heavy jackets and belts before boarding the aircraft.
The official added that passengers should keep some "extra time" in hand while using these two facilities.Additional quick reaction teams (QRTs) and counter-terror squads were deployed at those metro stations that witnessed a heavy footfall or were important from the security point of view and similarly, additional teams were deployed at the airport too, the officer said.
Following instructions of the security agencies, the Delhi metro will further modify few schedules of the metro services in the Line-2 ((HUDA City Centre - Samaypur Badli), and Line 6 (Kashmere Gate-Raja Nahar Singh).
On 25 and 26th January, the metro corridors where schedules will be modified is at central Secretariat and Udyog Bhawan. Entry and exit at Central Secretariat and Udyog Bhawan Metro stations will remain closed from 06:00 AM up to12:00 Noon. Patel Chowk and Lok Kalyan Marg Metro stations entry and exit will remain closed from 08:45 AM to 12:00 Noon.
"Central Secretariat station will only be used for interchange of passengers between Line 2 and Line 6. The metro stations on Line-6: ITO, Delhi Gate, Lal Quila, Jama Masjid will remain open throughout the day. However, certain entry/exit gates at these stations will remain closed from start of revenue service's till 12:00 Noon," said a Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) official.