Acquaintance of tourists with the capital of India usually begins with the airport. Indira Gandhi and the local metro. And believe me, it deserves attention. This is not only the cheapest way to get around the city, but also the fastest. Therefore, let's start with a tip: stock up on a detailed metro map of Delhi, and you will be provided with exciting trips and many reasons for surprise.
General information
Even an initial study of the Delhi metro scheme will impress any visitor to the city. Not without reason, in the rating of the International Association of Public Transport, it occupies the 9th position in terms of length and 16th line in passenger traffic among the subways of 178 cities from 56 countries.
Delhi metro scheme includes 7 lines and one speed line to the airport. Therefore, if you arrived in the morning flight, you can use the metro to get to the hotel. The first train from there starts moving at 4:45. On other branches, the stations open at 5:30.
The subway carries passengers not only around the city, but also connects it with satellite cities: Faridabad, Faradabar (Bahadurgarh), Balabhgarh (Ballabhgarh) in the district of Haryana, Gurgaon (Gurgaon), Ghaziabad (Ghaziabad) and Noida (NOIDA) Uttar Pradesh. The trains enter a line of four, six or eight wagons.
Have you stayed away? You can get to the hotel by metro if you have time for the last flight at 23:30. The gaps between trains at peak hours are 2-3 minutes, the rest of the time is 5-10 minutes.
When traveling, you will be surprised by the number of people, the cleanliness of stations and trains. Indians have great respect for women, so beautiful ladies will not be allowed to stand, someone will surely give way.
Delhi metro map
There are 7 branches in the city that have common stations, and from one line you can quickly switch to another.
Orientation in the subway allows colored signs in the form of numbers and lines on the floor. Inside it and on every platform, there are Delhi metro schemes, under each stop name the fare is indicated if you intend to get to it from the location point.
Fares
Metro Delhi is one of the cheapest in the world. The price depends on the number of stations that the passenger plans to drive. So, 10 rupees (about 9 rubles.) You will pay 1 stop for travel, and a trip to the airport will cost 60 rupees (55 rubles). Costs are reduced on Sunday and public holidays. On average, expect 20-30 rupees in one direction in the central areas.
To pay for the fare, you need to buy a token at the box office at the entrance to the station. However, it is much more convenient to use a Travel Card. You can also buy it from the cashier. In the future, replenish through them the same or special machines at the stations. The cost of the card is 150 rupees, 50 of them are collateral, the balance is credited to the balance. If you decide to return the card - 50 rupees will be returned from the cash register.
Interesting Facts
The construction of the Delhi metro began in 1998 and has since been impressive in pace and speed. The total length of the metro lines is 327 kilometers, with 236 stations located (6 stations belong to the aeroexpress line). In 2019, the third, next, construction phase should be completed. Then, by 2021, it is planned to complete the IV phase to increase the number of stations on the subway map of Delhi.
For comparison, in Moscow, the metro began to be built in 1935. For 83 years, 383 km of tracks were stretched in the Russian capital and 224 stations were commissioned.
The subway of the satellite city of Gurgaon does not apply to Delhi. It is maintained and managed by another company. However, a trip in this direction does not require the acquisition of additional tokens. Also, residents of Gurgaon do not need to buy separate travel cards to move around the city, separately - for Delhi.
The city and metro authorities are especially worried about the safety of passengers. Therefore, metal detectors are installed at the entrance to each station. When visiting, please note that there are separate queues for women and men. Ladies usually go to the left, where a female policeman scans them in the booth. Baggage and bags are laid out on tape.
Each train has a special carriage for women, usually it is at the beginning of the train. Entrance to it is prohibited for men. In case of non-compliance with the rule, a policeman may be called up who will write a fine and ask the offender to leave.
Tips to get started faster
Once inside, do not give up the opportunity to take a printed card. Most often they are located on special stands. Also save a photo of the Delhi metro map on your mobile phone. This will allow you to always have on hand an assistant who will tell you how to get from point A to point B.
Determine the direction of movement, cost and time of the trip will help applications on your mobile phone. One of them can be downloaded from the official Delhi Metro website. Also, several applications can be found in the Play Market for Android or the AppStore for iOS.
When using the escalator, keep to the left. If almost all over the world people stand on the right side of the tape to free the left for those who want to overcome this path a little faster on foot, then in India the situation is different. For them, leave the right side free.
All trains are air-conditioned, so keep a light blouse or shawl in your bag or backpack that you can put on your shoulders.
And feel free to ask. Indians are renowned for their responsiveness, so they will always be of assistance if you are in difficulty.