Record ridership, driving training for women: Key milestones achieved by DMRC, NCRTC in 2024

New Delhi: The year 2024 saw both the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation and the National Capital Region Transport Corporation make remarkable strides in advancing urban transportation infrastructure.

While the DMRC achieved key breakthroughs, including the first twin tunnels under Phase-IV construction and the completion of an 865-metre underground tunnel between Chhatarpur and Chhatarpur Mandir Station, the NCRTC opened two major sections, signed crucial agreements, and was lauded by the German Ambassador who took a ride on its Namo Bharat train.

Despite these advancements, the year was also marked by a tragic incident for the DMRC.

On February 8, a portion of the Gokulpuri Metro Station on the Pink Line, located in northeast Delhi, collapsed, resulting in the death of a 53-year-old man and injuries to four others.

In response, the DMRC carried out a thorough inspection and took corrective measures that included the removal of concrete structures and installation of stainless-steel railings at five elevated stations along the Pink Line to enhance safety.

The year began on a high note for the DMRC with President Droupadi Murmu taking a ride on a metro on February 7. On March 4, the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved two new corridors of Delhi Metro's Phase-IV project -- Inderlok - Indraprastha (12.377 km) and Lajpat Nagar - Saket G Block (8.385 km).

In an interview with PTI in July, DMRC Managing Director Vikas Kumar said they are planning to employ the use of artificial intelligence in its Phase-4 project for crowd management and maintenance of trains in order to increase efficiency.

The Delhi Metro, the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Limited, and the Centre For Railway Information Systems joined hands on July 10 to revolutionise the seamless travel experience of the main line railway and metro passengers in the Delhi-NCR area.

The idea was to promote the 'One India – One Ticket' initiative of the government by launching the “Beta Version” of Delhi Metro Rail QR Code–based ticket.

The urban transporter also announced the introduction of international flight check-in facilities at the New Delhi and Shivaji Stadium metro stations on the Airport Express Line on July 17.

The metro achieved a major construction milestone in Phase 4 with the completion of an 865-metre underground tunnel between Chhatarpur and Chhatarpur Mandir Station on the Tughlakabad-Aerocity corridor on August 21.

On September 18, the metro successfully completed the first twin tunnel breakthrough under Phase-4 construction.

Additionally, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed on August 21 between the DMRC and the NCRTC for an integrated QR-ticketing system, allowing passengers to book QR code tickets for both Namo Bharat and Delhi Metro on a single platform.

Further improving commuter convenience, the DMRC launched the multiple-journey QR ticket system on September 12, which simplified travel with a single QR code.

On October 5, an underground tunnel between Chhatarpur and Chhatarpur Mandir Station on the Tughlakabad-Aerocity corridor was completed.

The longest underground tunnel of 2.65 km between the Tughlakabad Airforce Launching shaft and Maa Anandmayee Marg on the Tughlakabad-Aerocity corridor of Phase-IV was completed on December 4.

On November 11, a new feature was added that allowed passengers to book bike taxi rides directly from the official DMRC mobile app, DMRC Momentum (Delhi Sarthi 2.0). Another milestone was achieved on November 15, when the first train for the Phase-IV operations was delivered to Delhi.

The Delhi Metro recorded the highest-ever single-day ridership on November 18, when 78.67 lakh journeys were completed across the network.

The metro signed an MoU with the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), to enable the sale of ASI monument tickets through DMRC's Momentum application. Similarly, it will also facilitate the sale of upcoming Surajkund Mela tickets.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated India's first Delhi-Meerut Namo Bharat Corridor -- the 17 km priority section between Sahibabad and Duhai Depot on October 20 last year.

On March 6, 2024, an additional 17 km section up to Modi Nagar North was opened, which was later extended to Meerut South, marking an operational expansion of another eight km of the corridor.

More than five million commuters have travelled on the Namo Bharat trains, which offer a range of facilities, including parking spaces for over 8,000 vehicles across stations.

The NCRTC also signed several key agreements to streamline ticketing options.

The 'Namo Bharat Connect' app was upgraded with new features, including live train tracking, real-time parking availability, station navigation, and a lost-and-found service, offering a more seamless and user-friendly journey.

A notable initiative this year was the NCRTC's commitment to women's empowerment through the launch of a driving training programme in Ghaziabad.

More than 500 women, aged 18 to 35, participated in the programme, which aimed to improve their livelihoods by equipping them with valuable driving skills.

During the year, German Ambassador to India Philipp Ackermann took a ride on a Namo Bharat train while a delegation of senior officials from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) toured the corridor to explore the project's progress.

Another exciting milestone was achieved in the construction journey with the Meerut Metro.

The 23 km Meerut Metro corridor will include 13 stations, with 18 km elevated and five km underground. Of the stations, nine will be elevated, three underground, and one at grade, which will serve as the depot station.