Protests kept 2.6 million commuters off Metro; 258 stations fully operational, DMRC tells SC
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The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) on Wednesday told the Supreme Court that the October 10 protests against chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar had an adverse impact on the lives of ordinary citizens, with ridership falling by nearly 45% as many commuters chose not to travel, even as all scheduled train services continued to operate.
Adding to this, According to the corporation, the remaining 258 stations, which is more than 85% of the network, remained fully operational and accessible to commuters. (File Photo) In an affidavit filed, a day before the matter is scheduled to be heard, the DMRC shared around 3.2 million passengers travelled on its network on October 10, against approximately 5.8 million on a normal second Saturday. It attributed the sharp decline to the protests, which it shared appeared to have prompted people to forego their usual daily activities, including attending work or conducting business.
Meanwhile, The affidavit, filed in response to the Supreme Court’s directions on October 9, seeks to counter allegations that public transport was shut down in defiance of the court’s order. The corporation maintained that there was no reduction in the number of Metro train trips on the day, with 271 trains inducted into service and all 4,157 scheduled trips operated across the network.
Notably, The clarification comes amid contempt proceedings initiated by the top court over restrictions imposed on Metro and railway services ahead of the protest at Jantar Mantar, called by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) to demand Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation over alleged irregularities in the revision of electoral rolls.
As per the latest buzz, On Sunday, a bench of justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana issued notices to Union home secretary Govind Mohan, Delhi police commissioner Anurag Kumar and DMRC chairperson D Thara, holding that a prima facie case in the contempt pleas against them had been made out. The authorities were directed to file their responses and compliance reports.
In further updates, The DMRC’s affidavit, submitted through its general manager, shared the Metro network comprises 303 stations, of which entry and exit gates at 45 were restricted on October 10 following directions from the Delhi Police. The original police communication had proposed restrictions at 57 stations, but the number was reduced after the Supreme Court’s intervention on October 9 and a subsequent reassessment of security requirements.
On top of that, According to the corporation, the remaining 258 stations, which is more than 85% of the network, remained fully operational and accessible to commuters. It also pointed out that interchange facilities continued uninterrupted at 14 of the 45 affected stations , including major hubs such as Rajiv Chowk, Kashmere Gate, Central Secretariat, Mandi House, Hauz Khas, Dilli Haat-INA and Netaji Subhash Place .
“The entire Metro network, except for the 45 stations specified in the modified notification dated 09.10.2026, remained fully functional throughout the day on 10.10.2026,” the affidavit shared.
Source: Hindustan Times