Delhi Metro start date: Here is what we know

New Delhi, Sep 01: Delhi Metro will resume its services from September 7 onwards in a calibrated manner.

The decision was taken to resume services after the Centre issued fresh guidelines for Unlock 4.0. Delhi Metro will resume its services for public from September 7 in a calibrated manner.

Further details on the Metro functioning and its usage by the general public will be shared once the detailed SOP on Metros is issued," a statement by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) read.

Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal had said that he was glad that metro has been permitted to start its operations from September 7. The Noida Metro will also resume its services on the Aqua Line from September 7 onwards in a calibrated manner.

The details on the metro's functioning and its usage by the public will be shared once a detailed SOP is issued by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs in the next few days.

The number of entry points to Delhi Metro stations will be heavily curtailed to ensure compliance with COVID-19 distancing norms, when services resume.

The Delhi Metro has been closed since March 22 when the Janata Curfew was observed in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. A nationwide lockdown came into force from March 25.

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) had on Sunday said that it was prepared to resume operations whenever directed by the government.

"The DMRC has 10 lines spanning 242 stations with 671 entry points. Whenever the services resume, only 257 gates and frisking sides are planned to be kept open to comply with COVID-19 safety norms," a source told PTI.

However, the arrangement is only in planning phase as of now and the entry points figures could be revised before the resumption of services, whenever that happens, he said.

Red Line or Line 1 which connects Shaheed Sthal in Ghaziabad to Rithala in Delhi has 31 stations and 70 entrance points, the source said.

When services resume, only 32 gates and frisking sides are planned to be kept open, the source said.

The Yellow Line or Line 2 which connects Samyapur Badli in Delhi to Huda City Centre in Gurgaon has 38 stations and 116 entry points.

When services resume, only 39 gates and frisking sides are planned to be kept open to comply with COVID-19 safety norms, he said.

While cases have again begun to rise in Delhi in the past one week, the DMRC has been working on protocols to handle commuters in adherence to COVID-19 safety guidelines, whenever the services are ordered to be resumed.

The preparations include new smart cards with auto top-up facility and stickers on social distancing norms pasted on seats and platform floors.

While the economy has slowly opened up in a phase-wise manner in the unlock period since June 1, the DMRC has not received a nod from the Centre to resume operations.