Metro ridership falls 2.67 lakh during 5-day station closures amid protests

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) on Wednesday said average weekday passenger journeys declined by around 2.67 lakh during the July 20-24 period, when several Metro stations remained closed amid student protests in central Delhi.

According to data shared by the DMRC, the average weekday passenger journeys fell from 65,93,294 during July 1-19 to 63,25,892 during July 20-24, a decline of around 4.1 per cent.

The corporation said that while there was a slight decrease in passenger journeys during the period, the decline was not significant in the context of the entire Metro network. “Such trends are often noticed during weekends, holidays and vacations as well,” the DMRC said in a statement.

The average weekday ridership during the corresponding periods stood at 68,56,803 in June 2026, 67,40,968 in July 2025 and 66,77,710 in June 2025, according to the data.

During July 20-24, the DMRC had closed entry and exit at up to 18 stations on the directions of the Delhi Police in view of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protests in central Delhi, while interchange facilities remained available at select stations. The restrictions affected commuters travelling to key Government and commercial areas in the city.

The restrictions were imposed during protests led by the CJP, which had organised demonstrations at Jantar Mantar and a “Sansad Chalo” march over alleged examination irregularities.

The protests led to traffic restrictions and the temporary closure of several Metro stations in central Delhi.