Delhi Metro station closures will affect entry and exit at 57 stations from 9 pm on Friday, October 9, ahead of a proposed protest at Jantar Mantar and other locations in New Delhi district on October 10, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation said. The restrictions will continue until further notice for security reasons.
Stations affected include major interchange and central-city locations such as Rajiv Chowk, New Delhi, Central Secretariat, Patel Chowk and Kashmere Gate. Other prominent stations on the list are Janpath, Mandi House, Barakhamba Road, Supreme Court, Indraprastha, ITO, Delhi Gate, Khan Market, Jama Masjid, Chandni Chowk, Hauz Khas and INA.
The DMRC said commuters will still be able to use interchange facilities at all affected stations except New Delhi. However, entry and exit gates at the listed stations will remain closed, limiting access for passengers beginning or ending their journeys at those locations.
The restrictions also cover stations in several parts of south, east, north and central Delhi. These include Shaheen Bagh, Jamia Millia Islamia, Okhla Vihar, Kalindi Kunj, Lajpat Nagar, Ashram, Sarai Kale Khan-Nizamuddin, Welcome, Shahdara, Rithala, Rohini, Azadpur, Jangpura and Shivaji Stadium.
According to the DMRC, the closure followed a request from Delhi Police in view of the proposed protests at Jantar Mantar and other locations in the New Delhi district. In a letter dated October 8, the police cited the likelihood of “unruly movement” towards sensitive locations and asked the metro operator to take precautionary measures.
Delhi Police also informed the DMRC that the frequency of metro trains passing through the identified stations may be reduced on Saturday, depending on the situation. The announcement means that commuters using central Delhi stations, as well as passengers travelling through key interchange points, may face altered access arrangements and longer journeys during the protest-related restrictions.
The DMRC’s announcement did not specify when the gate closures would be lifted. The restrictions are scheduled to remain in place until further notice, with train frequency and station operations subject to the security assessment on October 10.
