Delhi Metro Records Highest-Ever Daily Ridership As Air Pollution Crisis Worsens

Delhi Metro recorded its highest-ever daily ridership on Nov. 18, with a total footfall of 78.67 lakh passengers, according to official data released on Tuesday. The jump in metro ridership comes at a time when the air pollution crisis has worsened in the national capital.

The daily passenger footfall has exceeded the previous high of 77.49 lakh recorded on Aug. 20, 2024, as per the data shared by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation.

The DMRC has recorded its 25 highest passenger journeys since August this year, the statement added.

The peak ridership of 78.67 lakh passengers was recorded on a day when Delhi saw one if its worst air quality, with the highest PM 2.5 index in the last six years.

The air quality index level of the national capital reached dangerous level for a third consecutive day on Tuesday, touching 488, seen as ‘severe plus’ category. To encourage more people to use the metro in this scenario, the DMRC is running 60 extra trips on weekdays, offering more capacity than usual, an official statement said.

On Nov. 18, the Yellow Line of Delhi Metro, which connects Millennium City Centre in Gurugram to Samaypur Badli in Delhi, saw the highest passenger traffic, with a record 20.99 lakh commuters. The Blue Line followed closely with 20.80 lakh passengers, while the Red Line recorded 8.56 lakh commuters. Pink Line and Violet Line saw footfall of 8.15 lakh and 7.93 lakh passengers, respectively.

The Magenta Line saw 6.19 lakh passengers, followed by the Green Line with 4.12 lakh commuters, 81,985 in Airport Line, 57,701 in Rapid Metro, and 50,128, in the Grey Line, as per the data.

Since August this year, DMRC has repeatedly breached its own passenger journey records several times. The preference to metro over private vehicles bodes well for Delhi's air quality, as it would cut down vehicular emissions to some extent.

According to the DMRC, its recent measures such as allowing passengers to book their single or multiple journey tickets from digital platforms has contributed to the rise in ridership. In addition, tie-ups with other organisations like the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corp. also allows metro commuters to avail interconnecting travel options with various offers.