The Delhi Metro is overcrowded, it’s swarming with pickpockets and there are frequent technical glitches. Yeah, we know all these things. But is that all we need to know about our favorite ride around the national capital?
The fact remains that despite these problems, we never give Delhi Metro a skip. There is lot more to the metro than what meets the eye. Here are 10 interesting facts about saddi metro that you probably did not know!
1. No dustbins
The DMRC stations and platforms look spick and span despite the fact that there are no dustbins anywhere (apart from the restaurants). This is something Modi Ji would be very proud of!
2. Neutral Zones
You call them power cuts, DMRC calls them power shifts! The momentary power lapses where lights and AC go off at certain stations are actually ‘power shifts’. These designated sub-stations a.k.a. neutral zones supply power to the metro since it can not get the required 25000 volts from a single station.
3. Even number of coaches
Ever seen a metro with 5 or 7 coaches? No chance of that happening. This is because DMRC rails have 2 types of coaches, namely the ‘driver car’ and the ‘motor car’. They serve as one unit and cannot be used separately. Hence, Delhi metros have either 6 or 8 coaches. Always!
4. Journey ke saath bhi, journey ke baad bhi
DMRC takes care of your journey even after you deboard the train. A lot of metro stations provide bicycles on rent for as meagre as Rs 10 for 4 hours. Just don’t forget to carry a valid ID proof!
5. DMRC Smart Card
Largely unknown, DMRC and ICICI bank got together to launch a DMRC debit card which has an auto recharge facility and gives 10 % discount on metro fare and shops at metro stations. Oh, did we mention cash back offers and reward points? Happy travelling!
6. Sari Guard feature of escalators
Delhi metro commuters are always in a hurry and DMRC realises that. Apart from the emergency stop button, the DMRC escalators also have a sari guard feature that deflects loose clothing from getting trapped.
7. Assistance for visually impaired
Apart from scrubbing your shoes clean on them, these broad yellow strips running on the Delhi Metro platforms serve a better purpose. These yellow tactile strips are the pathways for the visually impaired commuters, leading them directly to the lifts and to the exits.
8. Wheelchair friendly
All stations have ramps built right at the entrance to help wheelchair-bound people to roll themselves around the station. This again shows how methodologically the Delhi Metro stations have been built.
9. Distance covered by Delhi Metro
The Delhi Metro network consists of a total of 200 trains covering a total distance of 69,000 kms every day. To put things into perspective, the earth’s total circumference is 40,075 kms!
10. Punctuality
In our own rush of reaching our destination, we hardly notice that Delhi Metro is one of the very few punctual things that have happened to Delhi, or India perhaps!
Next time someone brags about his luxury car, you know just the points to defend your own ride!
This write up is inspired by an awesome post we found on Quora .
Earlier version of the article had a factual error which has been edited.