The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (DMRC) has no plans to operate overnight services as maintenance of trains is carried out during night hours, Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has said.
The minister’s remark, which could disappoint people who need to avail metro services at night, especially on the airport express line, came in response to a query in the Lok Sabha recently.
BJP MP Natubhai Gomanbhai Patel had asked the minister whether the DMRC was formulating any plan to start metro rail services during the night hours on the lines of DTC bus services for the convenience of air passengers as most international flights are scheduled during that time.
“Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (DMRC) has informed that they have no plan to operate metro rail during night as the maintenance of the trains is carried out during that time,” the Housing and Urban Affairs minister said in a written reply.
However, it was not clear whether the minister was speaking specifically about the Airport Express Line or for all trains running on the DMRC’s various routes.
In July last year, DMRC chief Mangu Singh had said there was no plan at that time to operate overnight trains on its airport line, a proposal for which was floated in 2016.
We do not plan to operate trains overnight at this point. In any case, even at present, we get only few hours at night for maintenance and related works, Singh had said, when asked about the status of the plan.
The Delhi Metro had been toying with the idea since 2008.
Services on most of the six routes, except the airport line, start on or after 5 am, while the last train starts at 11.30 pm at some of the stations.
The first train on the airport express line starts at 4.45 am, while the last train at 11.30 pm.