Ground rules have been announced by Union Minister of Housing & Urban Affairs, Hardeep Singh Puri.
- Frequency of trains will need to be regulated
- Stations in containment zones will remain closed
- Wearing face masks will be mandatory
- Only asymptomatic persons will be allowed to travel after thermal screening
- Adequate dwell time at stations to be provided to enable smooth boarding/deboarding ensuring social distancing.
- Metro rail corporations may also resort to skipping of stations to ensure proper social distancing
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“This opening up of metro rail services in a graded & calibrated manner will need to be reviewed. If we find that resumption of operations is not resulting in social distancing, then, we might have no option but to review these arrangements,” Puri said.
DMRC to start Yellow Line in phase 1:
Soon after the announcements of SOPs Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Chief stated that Initially, DMRC will open only one line and operating hours will be 7am to 11am and 16:00 hours to 20:00 hours.
He said that in phase 1, on 7th Sept, DMRC is planning to start Yellow Line from Samaypur Badli to Huda City Centre. In phase 2, on 9th Sept it will start three more lines, Blue Line, Pink Line & Gurgaon Line.
Maharashtra will not resume services in September:
Government of Maharashtra has decided not to resume operation of metro rail services in September. Mumbai Line-1 and Maha Metro operations to commence from October or as State Government may decide further.