The Delhi Metro:Bringing a revolution to mass urban transportation - TopicsExpress



          

The Delhi Metro:Bringing a revolution to mass urban transportation in India written and compiled by a Delhi Metro User for Proud to be an Indian Please like our page facebook/proudindiaglobal Introduction : The Delhi Metro,the symbol of Delhi which is shown as unambiguous evidence of Delhis modernity and prosperity,which is shown as proof that Delhi is indeed a “world-class city;has been instrumental in ushering in a new era in the sphere of mass urban transportation in India.The Delhi metro is a marvel and something to marvel at, for anyone who visits Delhi, but also, and especially so, for its residents. It goes against every-thing they know. It is shiny, cool and clean,built on time, within budget, and without the infamous corruption that stalls or derails so many public and private sector projects.The metro is thus seen by all as a“cure” to the urban ills of pollution, stress, accidents, and death itself – a clean, smooth, fast, cheap, air-conditioned alternative to hot, bumpy roads jammed with cars, mopeds, bicycles, cycle and auto rickshaws, carts, buses, and taxis. Need for a Mass Transport System : To say that Delhi had a need for a mass transport system like the Metro is an understatement.With the population of Delhi increasing at a rapid pace with mass migration of people from the surrounding areas,the unbearably high levels of pollution in the NCR and the number of motor vehicles in Delhi being more than that of Mumbai, Calcutta, Chennai put together there was almost a compulsion for such a mass transport system to be introduced. Planning : Planning for the metro started in 1984, when the Delhi Development Authority and the Urban Arts Commission came up with a proposal for developing a multi-modal transport system for the city.While extensive technical studies and the raising of finance for the project were in progress, the city expanded significantly resulting in a twofold rise in population and a fivefold rise in the number of vehicles between 1981 and 1998.Consequently, traffic congestion and pollution soared, as an increasing number of commuters took to private vehicles with the existing bus system unable to bear the load. To rectify the situation, the Government of India and the Government of Delhi jointly set up a company called the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) on 3 May 1995, with E. Sreedharan as the managing director.Dr. E. Sreedharan handed over the charge as MD, DMRC to Shri Mangu Singh on 31 December 2011. Construction in Phases : Physical construction work on the Delhi Metro started on 1 October 1998.The Delhi Metro was built in phases. Phase I completed 58 stations and 65.0 km (40.4 mi) of route length on October 2006,on budget and almost three years ahead of schedule, an achievement described by Business Week as nothing short of a miracle. The second phase of the project involved a route length of 124 km and 85 stations which was double the length of the first phase and was completed again on schedule on August 2011.Phase III (103 km, 69 stations)and Phase IV (113.2 km)are being planned to be completed by 2016 and 2021 respectively, with the total network spanning 413 km by then.Within 12 years of its inception, the Delhi Metro is on track to achieve feats surpassing the worlds historic metro stations.The completion of Delhi Metros Phase III will also make Delhi a city with one of the highest number of metro stations anywhere in the world.The Delhi Metro network will have more than 241 stations after Phase III which will make it only the seventh city in the world to have more than 200 metro stations.In 2016, the DMRC network will be of about 330 kilometres and after the completion of 103-km-long section under phase IV, the Delhi Metro with 413 km long network will surpass the 150-year-old London underground system.The London underground, which was built in the year 1863, is 402 km long and has and has 270 stations.The Seoul and Tokyo metro systems are 317 kms in length and have 293 and 274 stations respectively. The 424-km-long Shanghai Metro has 234 stations.Russias Moscow metro is 305-km-long with 185 stations while Paris 215-km-long subway has 301 stations.In China, 336-kilometres-long Beijing metro system has a total of 172 stations while the Hong Kong metro is 211 km long with 155 stations.Thus the completion of the fourth phase in 2021 will make Delhi Metro the second largest metro network anywhere in the world after Shanghai. Revolutionary Technology : The Delhi Metro from its inception itself brought to the country a number of new technologies hitherto not known in the country.These were: 1.driving of tunnels with earth pressure balanced mechanical shields, 2 ballastless track technology, 3.high speed turnouts, 4.sophisticated signalling system with automatic train protection, 5.sophisticated telecommunication system between the trains and the operation control centre, 6.new design features fro highly economical and light-weight metro coaches, 7.a foolproof ticketing system using Contactless Smart Cards and many others besides. On Time,Every Time : There was a time not too long ago when office-goers and babus could get away with a flimsy excuse for being late to the office but all that has now changed with the coming of the Metro.The Delhi Metro even with the ever-increasing rush and a rapidly expanding network notwithstanding,has managed to record an average operational punctuality of over 99.7 per cent.Very few subway systems in the world - the London subway being a prominent example - record over 99 per cent punctuality rate.In Delhi Metro, punctuality is measured in seconds and a train is considered late if it was more than 55 seconds late, where as in the Metro networks across the globe, a train is considered late only if it is delayed by three minutes. Keeping Air Pollution and Global Warming in check : The Delhi Metro besides offering reliable and hassle free transport has also helped in curbing air pollution and reducing global warming.According to the 2014 Ambient Air Pollution Index Database the national capital of Delhi has the highest concentration of PM2.5 — particulate matters less than 2.5 microns— a form of air pollution, which is considered the most serious..This makes New Delhi the most polluted city in the world.The Delhi Metro has helped in reducing pollution levels in the city by 6.3 lakh tonnes every year, thus decreasing air pollution and also helping in mitigating impacts of global warming.The Delhi Metro has been certified by the UN as the first Metro rail in the world that has helped in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.Not only that but the Delhi Metros Model Shift Project has been registered as a Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) by the UN and it has earned over Rs.9.5 crore as carbon credits through measures like regenerative braking, wherein the kinetic energy released from the application of brakes is used to accelerate the train.Today about 25 lakh people travel everyday in the Delhi Metro which is completely non-polluting and environment-friendly. But for the Metro, these people would have travelled by cars, buses, two/three wheelers which would have resulted in GHG emission.The Delhi Metro has thus helped remove 1.2 lakh vehicles from the city roads while saving Rs.1.4 crore in fuel costs daily and cutting 1.06 lakh tonnes of fuel consumption annually.Every passenger who chooses to use Metro instead of car/bus contributes in reduction in emissions to the extent of approximately 100 gm of carbon-dioxide for every trip of 10 km and therefore,directly participates in reducing global warming. Most Energy Efficient Means of Transport : The Delhi Metro is also an energy efficient means of transport.It roughly consumes about 1/5th of the energy needed by a private means of transport(car,bike etc.).For its energy efficient measures, the Delhi Metro has become the first rail system in the world to be awarded the Gold Standard foundation -- a globally accepted certification standard for carbon mitigation projects.Various energy efficient measures have been undertaken which include Tube lights with 67 lumen/w efficacy, water based cooling tower, maximum utilization of daylight in stations, implementation of sun film and energy efficient operating strategies etc. All these measures have lead to tremendous amount of energy savings and reduction of carbon dioxide emissions (CO2). (atleast 25% saving). Innovative Safety Features : Over 23 lakh passengers travel by Delhi Metro daily and thus safety of its passengers has been a prime concern of the Delhi Metro.Delhi Metro is an extremely safe system of travel with specific special features such as automatic train protection which ensures safety during train operation.The standards of safety being followed by Delhi Metro include all the guidelines being follwed by the National Fire Prevention Association(NFPA) which are very stringent.There are other safety features which include the following.1.An automatic feature is provided to detect and release obstructions within the gap between door leaf edges up to 15 mm. 2.Trains cannot move unless all the doors and cab side doors are closed and locked. 3.If accidentally any door opens while train is on the run, brakes will apply automatically bringing the train to a halt. 4.Reduced fire risk due to special design features and materials used like stainless steel 5.Emergency evacuation facility through emergency front door 6.Facility for passengers to talk to the driver in case of an emergency. 7.Emergency announcements in the train through driver and by operation control centre. 8.Communication between operation control centre and the driver 9.Emergency illumination and ventilation in case of power supply failure. Running with a profit without any subsidies : Delhi Metro is also one of the few metro systems in the world having an operational profit from the first day. In 2007, the Delhi Metro claimed to be one of only five metro systems in the world that operated at a profit without government subsidies. This was enabled by keeping maintenance costs to a minimum and harnessing additional revenue from advertisements and property development, apart from ticket sales.The Metro also generates revenue by leasing out its trains and stations for film shoots. Due to its increasing association with Delhi as an image of the citys everyday life, it has been a popular filming location for production houses, and several films and advertisements have been shot on board. Delhi Metro Achievements: Delhi Metro thus has scored myriad achievements on almost all counts.It has brought state of the art technology to the country,connected the far flung areas of the city,made travel cheap and affordable, reduced air pollution,made travel safer and easier for women,people with physical disabilities and old people by reserving seats for them,increased employment opportunities while ensuring employment opportunities for women too(Delhi Metro has around 70 women drivers),completed all its projects on time operating at a profit with no subsidies being provided by the government.In order to reduce its dependence on non-renewable sources of energy, DMRC is looking forward to harness solar energy and install solar panels at the Karkardooma, Noida Sector-21, Anand Vihar and Pragati Maidan Metro stations and DMRC’s residential complex at Pushp Vihar.Solar panels have already been installed on the Dwarka sector 21 metro station and will in the future be extended to all its metro stations. Conclusion: Recently the Delhi Metro was ranked second among 18 international Metro systems in terms of overall customer satisfaction in an online customer survey.In the survey conducted among the commuters of those Metro systems, Delhi Metro along with London DLR and Bangkok were the best three performers in the Net Promoters Score (NPS) category.most efficient and pollution free mode of transport.For a person hailing form the hinterlands and rural areas stepping inside a Delhi Metro is an experience in itself.It is as if they have entered a different India:an India which is clean,orderly,on time,technologically advanced,a place where people follow rules; much,much different from the dirty,chaotic,backwardness of their native places.To prove that they have indeed travelled on the Delhi Metro they buy extra tokens and bring them back as mementos to be remembered.For us the Delhi Metro is itself a memento,a symbol of young Indias resurgence,a reminder that everything is possible with an able and visionary leader and a motivated team.The Delhi Metro might be a small drop in an ocean and a means of public transport but in just 15 years of its operation it has built a metro system comparable to those of Paris, London and New York which were built over many,many years.The Delhi Metro is surely a engineering,technological and infrastructural miracle of modern India.
Posted on: Tue, 21 Oct 2014 11:11:08 +0000

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