The Hindu : New Delhi News : Dilshad Garden station registers high ridership

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Wednesday, Jul 23, 2008
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New Delhi

Dilshad Garden station registers high ridership

Smriti Kak Ramachandran

NEW DELHI: Inaugurated a little more than a month ago, Dilshad Garden station of the Delhi Metro railway has emerged as the second most revenue-generating station on Line 1, only marginally behind the Shahdara station that was the first to become operational way back in December 2002.

With an average ridership of 23,000 passengers a day, footfalls at the Dilshad Garden station are expected to increase further. According to Delhi Metro Rail Corporation officials, the station’s proximity to the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border is one of the major reasons for the high ridership.

Highest ridership

On Line 1, which has a total of 21 stations, Shahdara has the maximum average ridership of about 24,000 a day, followed by Dilshad Garden, Kashmere Gate with 16,600, Pitampura with 15,810 and Rithala with 15,652. On Line II, Rajiv Chowk station located in the commercial hub of Connaught Place has the highest average ridership of 41,666 a day. It also has the highest average ridership per day among stations on all three lines. Chandni Chowk, another station amid a booming business centre, comes second with an average ridership of 37,512 per day. The Vishwavidyalaya station, which has seen a spurt in the ridership figures with the start of the new academic year at Delhi University, occupies the third slot, and New Delhi station with 26,301 and Central Secretariat with 20,290 figure among the top five revenue-generating stations on this line.

Reasons

“Proximity to commercial centres like the Janakpuri District Centre or housing colonies like Rohini (West) and Dwarka contribute to the high ridership at these stations. And at stations where ridership is more, even parking slots have to be so designed as to offer more space for the private vehicles of commuters,” said an official.

On Line III, which has 31 stations spread over 32.1 km, the top five stations in terms of ridership are Karol Bagh which has a daily average ridership of 20,245, Uttam Nagar East with an average ridership of 18,876, Barakhamba Road with an average ridership of 18,860, Dwarka Mor with an average ridership of 14,760 and Rajouri Garden with an average ridership of 14,475.

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