Delhi Metro Update: DMRC debuts first 8-Coach metro trains on Red Line from today - Check route, interchange stations, other details

Delhi Metro Route: The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) debuted its first-ever set of two 8-coach trains — which have been converted from the existing fleet of 39 six-coach trains — on Delhi Metro's Red Line. These Delhi Metro trains will run between Rithala and Shaheed Sthal New Bus Adda from Tuesday, 8 November.

"With this induction, now all the trains on this Line will be stopping near the far end of the platforms to accommodate the 8-coach trains accordingly", DMRC said isssuing an official statement on the induction of new coaches.

These 39 Red Line trains will now include 78 more coaches, which were procured from M/s Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML). The Red Line (Line-1) was expanded in 2019 with a total length of around 34 KM up to Shaheed Sthal New Bus Adda in Ghaziabad. These extra coaches will boost the Red Line's carrying capacity.

To guarantee that there is no impact on the normal passenger services, the conversion of 6-coach trains to 8-coach trains on the Red Line is being done gradually and is anticipated to be finished by 2024, as per DMRC.

Delhi Metro Red Line: Route

Delhi Metro's Red Line, which now carries about 4.7 lakh passengers per day, is the longest and one of the busiest corridors in the DMRC network. It has four interchange stations: Welcome, Kashmere Gate, Inderlok, and Netaji Subhash Place. After Phase-IV is finished, two more Red Line stations, Pulbangash and Pitampura, will also function as interchange stations.

Last year, by adding more coaches to its remaining fleet of 6-coach trains, the conversion of all 6-coach trains on the Yellow Line (Line-2, Samaypur Badli to HUDA City Centre) and Blue Line (Line-3/4, Dwarka Sec-21 to Noida Electronic City/Vaishali) into 8-coach trains was successfully completed. These lines, which were first put into service during Phase I, were constructed using broad gauge and had the capability of operating trains with up to 8 coaches. The Airport Express Line, one of the corridors of the Delhi Metro network that was later developed in Phases II and III, was designed on standard gauge with only the ability to run trains in a 6-coach formation.

It's important to note that the Delhi Metro network's first 6-coach train service debuted on the Red Line (Line-1) only in 2013. The Delhi Metro now operates 336 train sets over all of its corridors, including 176 six-coach trains, 138 eight-coach trains, and 22 four-coach trains (excluding Rapid Metro, Gurugram and Noida Metro).