WionDrive News Desk 
The Delhi Metro witnessed a record high average of 60.17 lakh (6.017 million) passenger journeys in May, surpassing the 52.41 lakh (5.241 million) journeys recorded in May 2023. Officials attribute this surge to the Delhi Metro becoming a popular choice among commuters seeking respite from the scorching summer heat.
Anuj Dayal, the principal executive director for corporate communication with DMRC (Delhi Metro Rail Corporation), stated, “During this summer, when Delhi has been witnessing high temperatures, Delhi Metro is silently offering its cool service across the network by performing over 4,200 train trips and running around 1.40 lakh km daily. Thereby, it is giving much-needed relief to commuters with a 24-degree Celsius pleasant commuting experience throughout the day.”
Dayal added that the Delhi Metro offers reliable and comfortable services without any reported breakdowns or air conditioning failures in its trains or underground stations, which are designed for air conditioning.
Currently, DMRC has a fleet of over 345 trains with around 5,000 air conditioning units installed. To ensure optimal performance during peak summer, a comprehensive health check for these units is conducted in March every year before the summer season begins. Regular maintenance of the AC units is carried out every three months.
Besides the trains, all underground stations are equipped with building management systems (BMS) and a chiller plan manager (CPM) for remote monitoring and control of air conditioning units. This system continuously monitors ambient and station temperatures in real-time and takes action to maintain the station temperature between 25 and 27 degrees Celsius, even when outside temperatures range from 45 to 50 degrees Celsius.
DMRC officials stated that regular inspections are being conducted on heat-sensitive infrastructure components like escalators and lifts to prevent malfunctions. The frequency of maintenance checks for heat-sensitive equipment is also increased during such periods. To prevent fire incidents, which are common during heatwaves, DMRC has a mechanism of fire extinguishers and hoses at its stations, which are regularly maintained, and sprinkler systems are regularly checked.
DMRC is also taking measures at construction sites by enforcing provisions for providing breaks to the workforce during the afternoons due to the ongoing heatwave. Other necessary provisions, such as drinking water and medical facilities, have also been made available at all sites to ensure that the workforce is not exposed to excessive heat.
