Metro to keep 10.9 lakh vehicles off roads daily by 2031: TERI study
A study by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) found that by 2031, the Delhi Metro will help keep nearly 10.9 lakh vehicles off the city’s roads every day, significantly reducing congestion, fuel consumption and air pollution across the National Capital Region.
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) shared the study citing that the number of vehicles taken off the road daily due to metro operations has steadily risen from 4.74 lakh in 2019 to 5.16 lakh in 2021 and is expected to more than double by 2031.
According to the DMRC, the increased use of metro services has also led to a notable reduction in fuel consumption and pollutants. Annual fuel savings grew from 2.55 lakh tonnes in 2021 to an estimated 5.34 lakh tonnes projected for 2031.
Similarly, the reduction in pollutants is expected to rise from around 7.77 lakh tonnes in 2021 to over 16.3 lakh tonnes in 2031, it said.
Additionally, the corporation said passengers using the metro system collectively saved about 269 million hours of travel time annually in 2021, a figure that could touch 572 million hours by 2031. With around 6.5 to 7 million passenger journeys recorded each day, the Delhi Metro remains a lifeline for commuters across the region.
Highlighting its sustainability measures, the DMRC said it is the first metro system in the world to be registered under the United Nations Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), earning carbon credits through regenerative braking, solar energy generation and promoting a modal shift to public transport.
The corporation further said it has installed rooftop solar plants at stations, depots and other premises with a total capacity of 50 MW, while its off-site solar facility at Rewa in Madhya Pradesh generates about 345 million units of power annually.
Together, these initiatives currently meet nearly 35 per cent of the corporation’s total energy needs, it added.
To mitigate the environmental impact of construction, the DMRC said it has implemented rainwater harvesting facilities at metro stations, viaducts and residential colonies and plants 10 saplings for every tree removed for development works.
Currently, the metro’s operational network spans 395 km with 289 stations, served by over 336 train sets in four, six and eight-coach formations. The DMRC said trains operate at intervals of less than three minutes during peak hours, maintaining punctuality within 59 seconds. Non-fare revenue — from property development, advertisements and other activities accounts for around 20 per cent of total earnings, it mentioned.
The corporation also shared that its ongoing Phase IV expansion, covering 112 km with an investment of Rs 39,580 crore, continues to receive substantial funding support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
Across all four phases, JICA’s soft loans have accounted for between 38 and 57 per cent of project costs, reflecting Japan’s long-standing partnership in Delhi’s metro development, it added.
The Delhi Metro currently has 10 colour-coded operational lines, with a total network length of around 390 km and 289 stations. It is the largest metro network in India, with its expansion including lines serving cities in the National Capital Region (NCR), such as Gurugram, Noida and Ghaziabad.
Further expansion is ongoing through Phase 4, which will add new lines and stations and is estimated to extend the total network length to approximately 450 km by 2027.
