Railway line in Delhi
The Delhi Ring railway, a part of Delhi's suburban railway services, is a 35 kilometres (22 mi) circular railway network in Delhi that runs parallel to the Ring Road. It was laid in 1975 primarily to service freight trains that could bypass the crowded and passenger-heavy Old Delhi and New Delhi railway stations. The network was upgraded for the 1982 Asian Games with the introduction of 24 additional services. Its circular route takes trains 90–120 minutes to complete, both clockwise and anti-clockwise via the Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station between 8 am and 7 pm. With a return ticket for the entire journey costing ₹12 (15¢ US), compared to with Delhi Metro, which is around ₹60 (75¢ US), it is preferred by poor and middle-class families.[1][2][3] It runs seven clockwise and six anti-clockwise trains at a peak frequency of 60 to 90 minutes during the morning and evening rush hours. Prior to the 2010 Commonwealth Games, seven 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 crore (US$376,000).[4][5]
History
The ring-railway service was introduced in 1975 with a stretch from Lajpat Nagar station to Adarsh Nagar station via Delhi Safdarjung and Patel Nagar stations 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.[5] Hence, the track was named the 'Delhi Avoiding Line'.[6] It was during the 1982 Asian Games that the service was extended to cater to the movement of people with the introduction of 24 new services.
Today, however, the Northern Railway's service for passengers within the city has become something which Delhiites are avoiding. As of July 2021, nine services were operational on the line in the clockwise and anti-clock-wise directions, with four express/mail and five passenger trains. The average peak hour occupancy of passenger trains is 50 per cent, while their average daily occupancy is 30 per cent.[7] The ridership numbers hover around 3500-4000 per day. In 2018, the Ministry of Railways announced plans to integrate the ring railway into the Delhi Metro system through interchanges and convert it into a robust suburban rail system.[8]
Popularity
The ring railway service was quite popular through the 1980s and '90s when Delhi's transport infrastructure was just gathering pace, but since then, with the rapid expansion of the Delhi Metro coupled with an extensive bus network and more recently, the opening of the RRTS, the ring railway has remained neglected by the city as well as the Railways. On average, only 3,700 passengers take the trains every day. The biggest reason for the failure of the railway is a lack of a feeder network, such as approach roads and feeder buses to the stations. The stations are situated at remote locations and are difficult to access by passengers. There is also a problem of security as many stations have been encroached. The trains on this network also run behind schedule most of the time. The network is now utilized as a freight corridor and limited passenger train services are available during peak hours.[10][11][12]
Plans for Revival
The Master Plan for Delhi, 2041 (MPD 2041), recommends that the ridership numbers of the ring railway can be increased by implementing accessibility improvements for major halt stations by creating public plazas, providing walking and cycling infrastructure, and installing proper signage. Interchange facilities may also be planned to integrate ring rail stations with existing metro stations. Additionally, since the ring rail alignment connects areas of heritage, ecological assets of Delhi and many commercial areas, a special hop-on and hop-off service may be considered for movement of tourists.[13][14]
