Delhi Metro will run 40 additional train services on weekdays from Tuesday as Delhi-NCR moves to Stage II of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) amid a sharp deterioration in air quality, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) said. The expanded operations are intended to give commuters greater access to public transport and encourage a shift away from private vehicles.
The DMRC said the latest decision would add 20 more trips to the existing additional services across its network, taking the total number of additional weekday trips to 40. The arrangement will apply on weekdays, although the corporation did not specify an end date in its statement.
“In the wake of implementation of GRAP-II in the capital, Delhi Metro will be running 20 more trips from tomorrow on weekdays, thereby increasing the total number of additional trips on its network by 40,” the DMRC said in a post on X.
The service increase follows the Commission for Air Quality Management’s decision on Monday to invoke Stage II of GRAP across Delhi-NCR with immediate effect. The measure was introduced after Delhi’s air quality deteriorated to the ‘very poor’ category.
According to the CAQM, Delhi’s Air Quality Index rose over three consecutive days, increasing from 117 on October 31 to 261 on November 1 and then to 324 on Monday. The agency attributed the deterioration to unfavourable meteorological conditions, which can limit the dispersion of pollutants.
GRAP Stage II requires authorities to intensify measures aimed at containing pollution from multiple sources. These include stronger road-cleaning and water-sprinkling operations, steps to control dust pollution and efforts to promote public transport as a way to discourage private-vehicle use.
The additional Delhi Metro services form part of the transport response under the pollution-control framework. By increasing weekday trips, the DMRC is seeking to provide more public transport availability during a period when authorities are attempting to limit emissions associated with vehicular movement.
The move also places the metro at the centre of the city’s immediate response to worsening air quality. Unlike measures focused on road dust or construction activity, the service expansion is aimed at influencing daily travel choices by making rail-based public transport more available during the GRAP-II period.
The DMRC has not announced changes to the wider network or provided a separate route-wise schedule for the additional services in the statement. For now, the increase remains limited to weekday operations and will continue as part of the measures introduced after GRAP Stage II came into force.
