In a major push to streamline passenger flow and bolster safety, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has commenced the installation of stainless-steel railings across all 29 interchange stations on its network. This initiative—announced officially on June 8, 2025—comes amid rising ridership and follows a detailed safety audit of older stations developed under Phases 1–3 of the system navbharattimes.indiatimes.com.
5 Key Takeaways
- Network-wide Rollout: All 29 interchange stations, including those first built in Phase-1 (e.g., Kashmere Gate), Phase-2 (e.g., Central Secretariat) and Phase-3 (e.g., Jangpura), will receive custom-designed railings.
- Crowd Management: The half-height barriers sit just behind the yellow platform safety line, guiding boarding and alighting passengers into orderly queues and preventing accidental track incursions navbharattimes.indiatimes.com.
- Minimal Disruption: Work is carried out during the three-hour nightly service window, ensuring daytime train schedules remain unaffected. All equipment is cleared and platforms sanitized before morning operations resume navbharattimes.indiatimes.com.
- Expert Oversight: DMRC Principal Executive Director Anuj Dayal emphasizes, “Interchange stations experience far higher footfall than single-line stops. These railings not only aid crowd control but also reduce the need for additional manpower on platforms,” underscoring the measure’s operational benefits navbharattimes.indiatimes.com.
- Future Phase-4 Integration: As Phase-4 stations come online later this year—including full-size Platform Screen Doors (PSDs) at underground interchanges—the railings will complement these high-tech systems, offering layered safety safeguards navbharattimes.indiatimes.com.
Why Now? Timeliness & Trends
Delhi Metro ridership has rebounded to pre-pandemic highs, averaging over 28 lakh journeys daily according to recent DMRC traffic reports. Surging passenger volumes, especially during peak hours, have put pressure on interchange hubs, where platform crowding can lead to delays and safety concerns delhimetrorail.cominfra.economictimes.indiatimes.com.
Moreover, the February 2024 collapse of a parapet wall at Gokulpuri station—resulting in one fatality—prompted a network-wide safety audit and accelerated plans to replace aging concrete barriers with durable steel alternatives infra.economictimes.indiatimes.com.
How It Works: Installation & Design
- Site Assessment: Structural engineers reviewed platform layouts at each interchange, marking optimal railing lengths and anchoring points.
- Fabrication: Custom stainless-steel sections, powder-coated for corrosion resistance, are prefabricated off-site.
- Night-time Execution: Crews work from midnight to 3 AM, using quick-mount fixtures to secure railings behind the yellow safety line.
- Quality Checks: Each section undergoes load testing to ensure stability under heavy push-and-pull loads typical of subway crowds.
Daily Digest
Next Update (June 30, 2025): Completion status of Phase-4 underground interchange PSDs and integration timeline with steel railings.
Stay tuned for our weekly roundup of Delhi Metro infrastructure upgrades and service advisories.
Fact-Check
| Claim | Source |
|---|---|
| “DMRC installing railings at all 29 interchange stations as a crowd-control measure.” | Official DMRC announcement, June 8, 2025 navbharattimes.indiatimes.com |
| “Work conducted nightly (midnight–3 AM) to avoid passenger disruption.” | Navbharat Times report, June 9, 2025 navbharattimes.indiatimes.com |
| “Audit initiated after Gokulpuri wall collapse in Feb 2024.” | Economic Times; ThePrint (PTI), July 2024 infra.economictimes.indiatimes.comtheprint.in |
| “Average daily ridership at 28 lakh journeys.” | DMRC Operations Control Centre report, March 2025 infra.economictimes.indiatimes.com |
