Delhi Metro sees few commuters on Day 1 of reopening after lockdown, strict rules in place

On the first day, the Yellow Line, between HUDA City Centre and Samaypur Badli, is to run from 7 to 11 am and from 4 to 8 pm. The metro will resume full services from 12 September.

The Delhi Metro resumed partial services from Monday, 7 September after nearly six months | Suraj Singh Bisht | ThePrint

New Delhi: After more than five months, the Delhi Metro resumed partial services Monday, with strict regulations in place to maintain physical distancing and hygiene amid the raging Covid-19 pandemic.

On the first day, the Yellow Line, between HUDA City Centre and Samaypur Badli, ran from 7 to 11 am, and will operate from 4 to 8 pm in the second slot. The metro will resume full services from 12 September.

India had gone into lockdown on 25 March to fight the novel coronavirus, and has been gradually ‘unlocking’ since June.

ThePrint’s Suraj Singh Bisht took a ride in the metro from Rajiv Chowk to Qutub Minar Monday to get you a glimpse of what it was like.

Very few people took the metro on its first day back on the tracks, so physical distancing could be easily maintained inside the compartments | Suraj Singh Bisht | ThePrint

At the entry point of each station, there is an automatic thermal scanner with an attached sanitiser | Suraj Singh Bisht | ThePrint

The commuters travelled with ease in the near-empty carriages | Suraj Singh Bisht | ThePrint

One of the new rules for metro services during the pandemic is that passengers must keep a gap of one seat between them, but there was more than enough room on the first day | Suraj Singh Bisht | ThePrint

Bags are to be sanitised at the entry point of a station | Suraj Singh Bisht | ThePrint

Now, smart cards are mandatory for metro travel as no tokens will be issued, and no cash transactions will take place to minimise the risk of transmission of infection| Suraj Singh Bisht | ThePrint

Passengers are given strict instructions to maintain adequate physical distance while standing in the queue to board and disembark. The trains will halt for a longer time at stations to facilitate this | Suraj Singh Bisht | ThePrint

On the first day of the metro services resuming, passengers were extremely careful about distancing, carrying their own sanitisers, and wearing masks | Suraj Singh Bisht | ThePrint

A commuter took a selfie to celebrate the reopening of the metro. Travelling within the city will be cheaper and easier now for many in the national capital | Suraj Singh Bisht | ThePrint