The Delhi Metro reopened entry and exit gates at all stations late Saturday after security-related restrictions kept 45 stations partially closed for about 25 hours ahead of a planned protest in central Delhi. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) said interchange facilities at all concerned stations were also available.
In a service update issued late Saturday, the DMRC said, “The entry and exit gates of all Metro Stations of the Delhi Metro network are now open. The interchange facility at all the concerned Metro stations is also available.”
The restrictions began at 9 pm on Friday following a request from the Delhi Police over concerns about possible crowd movement towards sensitive locations. The closures were linked to a protest called by the Cockroach Janta Party, or CJP, at Jantar Mantar. The planned gathering was related to demands for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the revision of electoral rolls under the Special Intensive Revision exercise.
The reopening came after the earlier schedule was extended. The stations had initially been expected to reopen at 6 pm on Saturday, but the restrictions continued until 10 pm. The DMRC had also revised the number of stations under entry and exit restrictions from 57 to 45 during the shutdown period.
Among the affected locations were Rajiv Chowk, Central Secretariat, Patel Chowk, Janpath, Mandi House, ITO, Kashmere Gate and New Delhi. These stations serve central government offices, commercial areas, major interchange points and connections between several Metro corridors, making restrictions there significant for commuters travelling through central Delhi.
Under the earlier arrangement, interchange facilities were permitted at the affected stations, although New Delhi Metro station was excluded from that provision. The restrictions applied to entry and exit rather than a complete suspension of train movement across the network, according to the service details reported by the DMRC.
The security measures coincided with heightened police deployment and barricading around Jantar Mantar and other locations in the capital. Authorities had denied permission for the proposed gathering at the protest site. With the DMRC’s latest update, entry, exit and interchange operations across the network have returned to normal, according to the corporation.
