Delhi Suburban Railway

Delhi Suburban Railway
दिल्ली उपनगरीय रेल्वे

Overview
Locale	National Capital Region, India
Transit type	Suburban Rail
Operation
Operator(s)	Northern Railway
Technical
Track gauge	1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) broad gauge

Delhi Suburban Railway is a suburban rail service operated by Northern Railway for the National Capital Region. This railway service covers Delhi, along with the adjoining districts of Faridabad, Ghaziabad and other adjoining places in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. These services are mostly run using EMU and MEMU rakes. This also includes passenger trains and DMU services up to Rewari in Haryana, which is also considered part of the National Capital Region.

Facilities

Delhi Suburban Railway uses the same tracks that are also used for long distance trains. In 2009 Ladies Special trains were introduced between New Delhi and Palwal and from New Delhi to Ghaziabad and Panipat.^[1]

Timetable

The services are currently available on the following routes.

• Ghaziabad Old Delhi New Delhi Faridabad Palwal Kosikalan EMU
• Ghaziabad Old Delhi New Delhi Faridabad Palwal EMU
• Ghaziabad Old Delhi New Delhi Faridabad Palwal Kosikalan Mathur
• Ghaziabad Old Delhi New Delhi EMU
• Ghaziabad Anand Vihar New Delhi Faridabad Palwal EMU
• H Nizamuddin Faridabad Palwal Kosi Kalan EMU
• New Delhi Palwal EMU

• New Delhi Shakurbasti EMU
• Shakurbasti Old Delhi Ghaziabad Dankaur EMU
• Shakurbasti Old Delhi New Delhi H Nizamuddin Faridabad Palwal EMU
• Shakurbasti New Delhi Ghaziabad Khurza Aligarh EMU
• Shakurbasti New Delhi Fardabad Ballabgarh EMU
• Shakurbasti Old Delhi New Delhi H Nizamuddin Faridabad Palwal Mathura EMU

Passenger and DMU services

• Old Delhi- Gurgaon - Rewari DMU
• Old Delhi Muzaffarnagar DMU
• Old Delhi Shamli DMU
• Old Delhi Rohtak MEMU

At present, EMUs in Delhi run with 12 coaches, of which ten are general compartments and two are ladies compartment. As per the Northern Railway estimates, there are more than 110 suburban trains, which ply on important sections, often crowded beyond limit during peak hours.

Delhi Ring Railway

Delhi Ring Railway is part of the Delhi Suburban Railway services.The Ring Railway is a circular rail network in Delhi, which runs parallel to the Ring Road and was conceived during the 1982 Asian Games. Started in 1975 to service goods, it later upgraded for the Games, when 24 additional services were started. Its circular route is 35 km long, which the train takes 90–120 minutes to complete, both clockwise and anti-clockwise, via Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station, from 8am-7pm. With a return ticket for the entire journey costing 12, compared to with Delhi Metro, which is around 60, it is preferred by poor and middle-class families.^[2] It runs seven clockwise and six anti-clockwise trains at a peak frequency of 60-90 min., during the morning and evening rush hours. However in the coming decades Delhi spread far beyond Ring Road, making the ring railway largely redundant. Nevertheless, prior to the 2010 Commonwealth Games, 7 stations near the sports venues, namely Chanakyapuri, Sarojini Nagar, Inderpuri Halt, Lajpat Nagar, Sewa Nagar, Lodhi Colony and Safdarjung, received a facelift at the cost of 3 crores.^[3][4]

Delhi Ring Rail

The ring-railway service was introduced on a track laid in the 1975 so that the large number of goods trains originating, terminating, or passing through the city, could bypass the main passenger stations at New Delhi, Old Delhi and Hazrat Nizamuddin.^[4] The track was called the 'Delhi Avoiding Line'. Today, however, the Northern Railway’s service for passengers within the city has become something which Delhiites are avoiding. There are 12 electric trains on the ring rail. Only three of the twelve EMUs run to full capacity. The rest have just 1-2% occupancy. The ring railway starts and ends at the Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station with trains running in both clockwise and anti-clockwise directions around the city.

Popularity with commuters

The system is not popular among individual travelers and has been a total failure as far as public transport is considered. Delhi Ring Railway is considered as an example of failed mass transit system. The major reasons for failure of the system are lack of workable connections to other methods of transportation as well as a low-density population in the areas of reach. Making matters worse, the station exits usually open into narrow, dirty alleyways - often more than a kilometer away from the main road.

The network is now utilized as a freight corridor, though limited passenger EMU train services are available during peak hours.

Delhi Ring Railway
Legend Hazrat Nizamuddin Pragati Maidan Lajpat Nagar Tilak Bridge Sewa Nagar Shivaji Bridge Lodhi Colony New Delhi Railway Station Sarojini Nagar Sadar Bazaar Safdarjung Kishanganj Chanakyapuri Sarai Rohilla Sardar Patel Marg Dayabasti Brar Square Patel Nagar Naraina Vihar Kirti Nagar

Future development

With Delhi Metro growing at a rapid pace, there has been very little focus to improve the condition of the Delhi Suburban Railway. There have been reports of strengthening the services so that more commuters can avail themselves of the facility. Feasibility studies have also been done, and in deference to the commuter demand, there were also plans to start EMU services from Gurgaon. An integrated rail-bus transit (IRBT) system to connect Delhi with the satellite towns of Gurgaon, Ghaziabad, and Sahibabad is being promoted by the government.^[5] A feasibility study has already been completed, and a steering committee has been appointed to monitor the project. The IRBT will have two dedicated tracks.

Fleet gallery

References

External links

• Dedicated tracks to run EMU
• Delhi ring railway timetable