Accuntpayable1 at 12:41, 15 February 2026

2026-02-15T12:41:07Z

New page

{{short description|Railway line in Delhi}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2018}}{{Use Indian English|date=May 2018}}
{{Infobox rail line
| name = Delhi Ring Railway
| image = Delhi ring rail.jpg
| image_width =
| caption =
| type = [[Commuter Rail|Suburban Rail]]
| system = [[Delhi Suburban Railway]]
| status =
| locale = [[Delhi]], [[India]]
| start = [[Nizamuddin Railway Station|Hazrat Nizamuddin]]
| end = [[Nizamuddin Railway Station|Hazrat Nizamuddin]]
| stations =
| daily_ridership = 3,700
| open = 1975
| close =
| owner =
| operator = [[Northern Railway Zone (India)|Northern Railway]]
| character = At-grade
| stock =
| linelength_km = 35
| tracklength =
| tracks =
| gauge = {{RailGauge|5ft6in|lk=on}} [[Broad gauge]]
| electrification =
| speed =
| elevation =
| map = {{Delhi Ring Railway|inline=y}}
| map_state = collapsed
}}

The '''Delhi Ring railway''', part of [[Delhi Suburban Railway]], is a {{convert|35|km}} circular railway network in Delhi with 21 stations that runs parallel to the [[Inner Ring Road, Delhi|Inner Ring Road]]. Operational from 8 am to 7 pm, it offers clockwise and anti-clockwise services via [[Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station]], completing a full circuit in 90–120 minutes. During peak hours, it has seven clockwise and six anti-clockwise trains, maintaining a 60–90 minute frequency. With a full-circuit fare of approximately {{INRConvert|12}}, significantly lower than the Delhi Metro's {{INRConvert|60}}, it serves as a cost-effective transit option.<ref name=histr1>{{cite news |last=George |first=Rajni |date=21 February 2012 |title=The road around progress |publisher=[[Mint (newspaper)|Mint]] |url=https://www.livemint.com/Leisure/jyHVCM15bOxKeqZZTyrW1I/The-road-around-progress.html |access-date=6 January 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Varma |first=Vishnu |date=11 March 2016 |title=Ring Railway left behind as Delhi swells beyond boundaries |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/ring-railway-in-an-ever-expanding-delhi-a-ghost-railway-service-lingers/ |work=The Indian Express |location=New Delhi |access-date=11 December 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Sharma |first=Manoj |date=19 November 2017 |title=Travelling between hope and despair: Delhi’s own local awaits a revival push |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi-news/travelling-between-hope-and-despair-delhi-s-own-local-awaits-a-revival-push/story-IG9ZCKrPJRRG2BNOk1R63N.html |work=Hindustan Times |location=New Delhi |access-date=6 January 2022}}</ref> It was laid in 1975 primarily to service freight trains that could bypass the crowded and passenger-heavy [[Delhi Junction railway station|Old Delhi]] and [[New Delhi railway station|New Delhi]] railway stations.<ref name=histr1/>

==History==

Prior to the [[2010 Commonwealth Games]], seven stations near the sports venues, namely Chanakyapuri, Sarojini Nagar, Inderpuri Halt, Lajpat Nagar, Sewa Nagar, Lodhi Colony and Safdarjung, received a facelift at the cost of {{INRConvert|3|c|-3}}.<ref name=metupr1>{{cite news|date=22 February 2011|title=Changing Delhi map makes Ring Railway redundant|publisher=[[Indian Express]]|url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/changing-delhi-map-makes-ring-railway-redundant/752994/0}}</ref><ref name="deccan">{{cite news|date=4 February 2012|title=Ring Rail service chugs into oblivion|publisher=[[Deccan Herald]]|url=http://www.deccanherald.com/content/224687/ring-rail-service-chugs-oblivion.html}}</ref>

The ring-railway service was introduced in 1975 with a stretch from Lajpat Nagar station to [[Adarsh Nagar railway station|Adarsh Nagar station]] via Delhi Safdarjung and Patel Nagar stations so that the large number of goods trains originating, terminating, or passing through the city, could bypass the main passenger stations at New Delhi, Old Delhi and Hazrat Nizamuddin.<ref name="deccan" /> Hence, the track was named the 'Delhi Avoiding Line'.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://online.dda.org.in/mpd2041dda/_layouts/MPD2041FINALSUGGESTION/Baseline_Transport_%20160721.pdf |title= Baseline Report - Enabling Strategic Plan: Master Plan for Delhi 2041 |date= 16 July 2021 |website= online.dda.org.in |publisher= DDA |access-date= 13 November 2023 |page=29 |quote= The stretch from Lajpat Nagar to Adarsh Nagar station via Delhi Safdarganj (sic) and Patel Nagar stations was originally planned for freight movement to by-pass Delhi by avoiding the major stations and was thus named the “Delhi Avoiding Line” (DAL).}}</ref> It was during the [[1982 Asian Games]] that the service was extended to cater to the movement of people with the introduction of 24 new services.<ref name=histr1/>

Today, however, the Northern Railway's service for passengers within the city has become something which Delhiites are avoiding. As of July 2021, nine services were operational on the line in the clockwise and anti-clock-wise directions, with four express/mail and five passenger trains. The average peak hour occupancy of passenger trains is 50 per cent, while their average daily occupancy is 30 per cent.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://online.dda.org.in/mpd2041dda/_layouts/MPD2041FINALSUGGESTION/Baseline_Transport_%20160721.pdf |title= Baseline Report - Enabling Strategic Plan: Master Plan for Delhi 2041 |date= 16 July 2021 |website= online.dda.org.in |publisher= DDA |access-date= 13 November 2023 |page=29}}</ref> The ridership numbers hover around 3500-4000 per day. In 2018, the [[Ministry of Railways (India)|Ministry of Railways]] announced plans to integrate the ring railway into the [[Delhi Metro]] system through [[Interchange station|interchanges]] and convert it into a robust [[Suburban rail in India|suburban rail system.]]<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-02-15 |title=Decongesting Delhi: Mega plan to link Capital’s ring rail, Metro network |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi-news/decongesting-delhi-mega-plan-to-link-capital-s-ring-rail-metro-network/story-Lf0h4yaFYj1jOUQtERYDgI.html |access-date=2023-11-01 |website=Hindustan Times |language=en}}</ref>

==Stations==
List of the 21 railway stations in clockwise direction (starting from [[Hazrat Nizamuddin railway station|Hazrat Nizamuddin]]) is as follows:<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi-news/decongesting-delhi-mega-plan-to-link-capital-s-ring-rail-metro-network/story-Lf0h4yaFYj1jOUQtERYDgI.html |title=Decongesting Delhi: Mega plan to link Capital’s ring rail, Metro network |work=Hindustan Times |date=15 February 2018}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Station name
! Note
|-
| [[Hazrat Nizamuddin railway station|Hazrat Nizamuddin]]
| Interchange with [[Hazrat Nizamuddin railway station]], the [[Sarai Kale Khan Inter-State Bus Terminus|Sarai Kale Khan ISBT]] and the [[Sarai Kale Khan - Nizamuddin metro station]] on the [[Pink Line (Delhi Metro)|Pink Line]]
|-
| [[Lajpat Nagar railway station|Lajpat Nagar]]
| Interchange with [[Lajpat Nagar metro station]] on the [[Violet Line (Delhi Metro)|Violet Line]] and Pink Line and the [[Jangpura metro station]] on the Violet Line
|-
| {{rws|Sewa Nagar}}
|
|-
| [[Lodhi Colony railway station|Lodhi Colony]]
|
|-
| {{rws|Sarojini Nagar}}
|
|-
| [[Safdarjung railway station|Delhi Safdarjung]]
|
|-
| {{rws|Chanakyapuri}}
|
|-
| {{rws|Sardar Patel Marg}}
|
|-
| {{rws|Barar Square}}
|
|-
| {{rws|Indrapuri}}
|
|-
| {{rws|Naraina Vihar}}
| Interchange with [[Naraina Vihar metro station]] on the Pink Line
|-
| [[Kirti Nagar railway station|Kirti Nagar]]
| Interchange with [[Kirti Nagar metro station]] on the [[Green Line (Delhi Metro)|Green Line]]
|-
| [[Patel Nagar railway station|Patel Nagar]]
| Interchange with [[Satguru Ram Singh Marg metro station]] on the Green Line
|-
| [[Dayabasti railway station|Daya Basti]]
|
|-
| [[Delhi Sarai Rohilla railway station|Delhi Sarai Rohilla]]
| Interchange with [[Shastri Nagar metro station]] on the [[Red Line (Delhi Metro)|Red Line]]
|-
| [[Delhi Kishanganj railway station|Delhi Kishanganj]]
|
|-
| [[Sadar Bazar railway station|Sadar Bazar]]
| Interchange with [[Tis Hazari metro station]] on the Red Line
|-
| [[New Delhi railway station|New Delhi]]
| Interchange with [[New Delhi metro station]] on the [[Yellow Line (Delhi Metro)|Yellow Line]] and the [[Delhi Airport Metro Express|Airport Express]]
|-
| [[Shivaji Bridge railway station|Shivaji Bridge]]
|
|-
| [[Tilak Bridge railway station|Tilak Bridge]]
|
|-
| [[Pragati Maidan railway station|Pragati Maidan]]
| Interchange with [[Supreme Court metro station]] (erstwhile Pragati Maidan) on the [[Blue Line (Delhi Metro)|Blue Line]]
|}

== Popularity ==
The ring railway service was quite popular through the 1980s and '90s when Delhi's transport infrastructure was just gathering pace, but since then, with the rapid expansion of the [[Delhi Metro]] coupled with an [[Delhi Transport Corporation|extensive bus network]] and more recently, the opening of the [[RapidX|RRTS]], the ring railway has remained neglected by the city as well as the [[Indian Railways|Railways]]. On average, only 3,700 passengers take the trains every day. The biggest reason for the failure of the railway is a lack of a feeder network, such as approach roads and feeder buses to the stations. The stations are situated at remote locations and are difficult to access by passengers. There is also a problem of security as many stations have been encroached. The trains on this network also run behind schedule most of the time. The network is now utilized as a freight corridor and limited passenger train services are available during peak hours.<ref>{{cite news |last=Varma |first=Vishnu |date=11 March 2016 |title=Ring Railway left behind as Delhi swells beyond boundaries |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/ring-railway-in-an-ever-expanding-delhi-a-ghost-railway-service-lingers/ |work=The Indian Express |location=New Delhi |access-date=11 December 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Changing Delhi map makes Ring Railway redundant |url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/changing-delhi-map-makes-ring-railway-redundant/752994/0 |publisher=[[Indian Express]] |date=22 Feb 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=4 February 2012|title=Ring Rail service chugs into oblivion |publisher=[[Deccan Herald]]|url=http://www.deccanherald.com/content/224687/ring-rail-service-chugs-oblivion.html}}</ref>

=== Plans for Revival ===

The Master Plan for Delhi, 2041 (MPD 2041), recommends that the ridership numbers of the ring railway can be increased by implementing accessibility improvements for major halt stations by creating public plazas, providing walking and cycling infrastructure, and installing proper signage. Interchange facilities may also be planned to integrate ring rail stations with existing metro stations. Additionally, since the ring rail alignment connects areas of heritage, ecological assets of Delhi and many commercial areas, a special hop-on and hop-off service may be considered for movement of tourists.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-06-09 |title=Master Plan of Delhi 2041: Ring Rail revamp, intelligent transport system |url=https://www.livemint.com/industry/infrastructure/master-plan-of-delhi-2041-strategic-corridors-ring-rail-revamp-intelligent-transport-system-11623247381566.html |access-date=2023-11-30 |website=mint |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://dda.gov.in/sites/default/files/inline-files/Draft%20MPD%202041%20%28English%2909062021_compressed_0.pdf |title= Master Plan for Delhi-2041 (MPD-2041) |date= 9 June 2021 |website= dda.gov.in |publisher= DDA |access-date= 13 November 2023 |page= 70}}</ref>

== See also ==

* [[Delhi Suburban Railway]]
* [[Delhi Metro]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Suburban railways in India}}{{Railways in Northern India}}{{Greater Delhi transit}}
[[Category:Transport in Delhi]]
[[Category:Suburban rail in India]]
[[Category:Urban ring railways]]

Delhi Ring Railway - Revision history

Accuntpayable1 at 12:41, 15 February 2026