New Delhi: Metro services at 12 stations in central Delhi were suspended Friday, causing severe inconvenience to commuters.
At 8 am, DMRC announced on social media that the entry and exit at 11 metro stations would remain closed till further notice. Around 2 pm, DMRC posted that the interchange facility at New Delhi Metro station, a key link between Yellow and Airport Express lines, wouldn’t be available till further notice. During the CJP stir in July, 18 metro stations in central Delhi were shut for days. In Feb 2024, multiple gates at nine metro stations across the city were closed in view of a farmers’ stir. In Jan 2021, 16 stations were shut after protesting farmers entered the city and clashes erupted near Red Fort and ITO. During the height of anti-CAA and NRC protests in 2019, DMRC temporarily closed nearly 20 stations.
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“However, interchange facility will remain available at Rajiv Chowk, Mandi House, INA, New Delhi and Central Secretariat stations,” it added. DMRC sources said the closure followed directions from police regarding locations identified by them as sensitive from security and law-and-order perspectives. Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) did not give any official reason for the sudden closure that came on a day protests at Jantar Mantar were planned. They are Janpath, Patel Chowk, Central Secretariat, Rajiv Chowk, Seva Teerth, Mandi House, Lok Kalyan Marg, INA, Chawri Bazaar, Ramakrishna Ashram Marg and New Delhi. Four hours later, Barakhambha Road station was added to the list. A senior police officer echoed this, saying the step came after the situation and security measures were assessed. The closure of metro stations as a precautionary measure during protests in Delhi has been a recurring feature in recent years. Download the TOI App.
Because of Gandhi Jayanti, many private offices, coaching centres and shops were open, while educational institutions and govt offices remained shut.
Rashi Sharma, whose office is in Janpath, said the disruption added to her travel time. “Since the metro did not stop at Janpath or the next station, Mandi House, I had to get off at ITO and take an auto from there,” she said. Mahesh Singh, who works at a shop in Connaught Place, said, “I requested security personnel at Rajiv Chowk to allow me to exit from one of the gates. Another X user, Vaibhav, whose train did not stop at some stations on Yellow Line, said, “Why didn’t you announce this yesterday?”
Many commuters complained that the closure of the stations left them scrambling for alternative routes to reach their destinations. However, they didn’t listen to me. Many commuters took to social media to complain about the disruption. Nitesh, a passenger, wrote on X, “I have a train to catch from New Delhi railway station. How am I supposed to reach there? Why should I compromise?