New Delhi: Delhi Metro services were suspended for five days in July and four days in Oct, resulting in a drop in passenger boardings — ranging from 6% to 39%.
The biggest impact was felt on Oct 10, a Saturday, when entry and exit were suspended at 45 metro stations even as the capital was witnessing protests. This Wednesday, DMRC informed Supreme Court that there were no curtailment or cancellation of metro services and no reduction in the number of train trips on Oct 10, with 272 trains operating. Though five stations were closed on July 20, it recorded an increase in passenger boardings by 1.5% as it was a Monday. DMRC shut some stations for four consecutive days from July 22 to 25, leading to an overall dip in passenger boardings. Oct 2, a public holiday, reported 40.1 lakh passenger boardings, a dip of 23.9%. Forty-five stations were closed from 9.30 pm on Oct 9. Passenger boardings that day were recorded at 72.9 lakh, an increase from the average weekday passenger boardings of 69.1 lakh till Sept. Data shows that higher passenger boardings were recorded in the run-up to that day: 77.4 lakh on Oct 5, 77.1 lakh on Oct 6, 74.6 lakh on Oct 7 and 75.5 lakh on Oct 8. Oct 11 saw a reduction in passenger boardings by 10.3%. However, after restrictions were lifted, DMRC witnessed a rise on weekdays as compared to average boardings: 77.3 lakh on Oct 12 and 79.8 lakh on Oct 13.
As a result, passenger journeys stood at 32.1 lakh that day, against an average weekend ridership of 52.7 lakh, marking a 39.1% decline. In July, the steepest drop of 16.8% was recorded on 24th, a Friday, when 18 metro stations were closed due to an agitation at Jantar Mantar. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Delhi | Silver Rate in Delhi | Bank Holidays in Delhi | Public Holidays in Delhi | Delhi AQI | Weather in Delhi | Petrol Price in Delhi | Diesel Price in Delhi | CNG Price in Delhi | LPG Price in Delhi Stay updated with the latest Delhi news.
“Whenever such closures are announced following directions of police authorities, DMRC keeps updating the information on its official social media handles besides issuing press releases,” a metro official said, adding that centralised and localised announcements are also made inside stations and trains during such closures, besides the display of advisory signage at all entry and exit gates of the affected stations. “Additional DMRC staff and ground marshals are mobilised and deployed at affected interchange stations,” he said. Delhi Metro Rail Corporation ( DMRC ) defines passenger boardings as the number of trains used by a commuter to complete a journey. However, the closure of entry and exit gates at several metro stations caused severe inconvenience to passengers. As trains did not halt at key stations and skipped four to five consecutive stations on some lines, commuters were forced to alter their travel plans midway. Even a couple of stations were added to the list of closed stations during daytime, with the sudden closure leaving commuters scrambling for alternatives. Stations were shut for four days this month. It was followed by the closure of metro stations for three straight days. Download the TOI App.
In Feb 2024, multiple gates at nine metro stations across Delhi were shut owing to a farmers’ agitation. In Jan 2021, 16 stations were shut after protesting farmers entered the city and clashes erupted near Red Fort and ITO. During the peak of anti-CAA and NRC protests in 2019, DMRC temporarily closed nearly 20 stations.
Because of a July deluge as an approach road was flooded, in contrast, entry and exit gates were shut at only one metro station once in 2025, that too. Suspension of metro services has become a recurring feature during protests in the capital in recent years.