After the Airport Express Line, freight transportation will now be available on all other corridors of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), along with passenger travel. However, this facility will be available only during non-peak hours. A dedicated coach will be reserved for this purpose in the metro.
This will be implemented across all corridors to ensure that passengers do not face any inconvenience. The exact date for the launch of this service has not been announced yet, but the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has entered into an agreement with logistics company Blue Dart to provide this service.
DMRC will collaborate with the company to facilitate freight transportation in the metro. The goal is to increase DMRC’s revenue not only from passenger fares but also from freight transportation. Additionally, DMRC claims that this initiative will help reduce the pressure on road freight vehicles. This could be significant in reducing pollution in the National Capital Region (NCR) of Delhi. In fact, during non-peak hours, the metro is less crowded, making it an ideal time for freight transportation.
After the agreement with the company, DMRC began exploring the option of freight transport during non-peak hours. DMRC believes that the metro can quickly transport goods from one place to another.
Exploring new revenue options, DMRC states that metro systems around the world are exploring new ways to increase revenue. In this regard, Madrid Metro in Spain has initiated a pilot project for parcel transportation in metro trains in collaboration with logistics companies. DMRC is also actively engaged with Madrid Metro to share experiences related to urban freight transportation.
DMRC is trying to establish a permanent urban freight transportation network in Delhi NCR by leveraging its metro network and stations. The Delhi NCR metro network is about 393 kilometers long and has 288 stations. Freight transportation is already available on the Airport Express Line, with a reserved coach for this purpose.
