Back on the track: Delhi Metro resumes full services, Airport Line reopens

New Delhi, Sep 12: Delhi Metro has resumed its full services on Saturday with the Airport Express Line reopening after a hiatus of over 170 days due to the COVID-19 pandemic. All corridors of the Metro network are now in operation and the timing of services will follow the pre-COVID-19 schedule of 6 AM to 11 PM.

"With the resumption of service on the Airport Express Line, all lines of the Delhi Metro network are now open! Remember to follow the guidelines when travelling. #MetroBackOnTrack," the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) tweeted.

On Monday, the Delhi Metro had resumed services with curtailed operation of the Yellow Line and Rapid Metro. The Metro services were shut on March 22 to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus. The Ministry of Home Affairs had recently issued guidelines allowing the Delhi Metro to resume operations in a graded manner, following which the DMRC had said it would be done in three stages from September 7-12.

Under stage one, Yellow Line or Line 2 and Rapid Metro were made operational with restricted service hours. Stage two kicked in from Friday with extended service hours, and stage three came into effect from Saturday onwards with Metro services going back to pre-COVID-19 time schedule of 6 AM to 11 PM.

Recently, the Ministry of Home Affairs issued guidelines allowing the Delhi Metro to resume operations in a graded manner, following which the DMRC had said it would be done in three stages from September 7-12.

To avoid huge crowd in the metro as well as at the stations, DMRC Managing Director Mangu Singh has appealed to the people that they should refrain from travelling during peak hours.