DMRC mid‑life train upgrades

Delhi Metro Rail Corporation is overhauling 70 of its oldest Red and Blue Line trains, with the work scheduled to run in phases through November 2027. (indianexpress.com) The trains being rebuilt were inducted between 2002 and 2007 and have logged about 19 to 24 years of service, according to the corporation. Delhi Metro Rail Corporation said 31 trains have already been refurbished. (indianexpress.com) The retrofit adds smoke and heat detectors, closed-circuit television cameras, Internet Protocol-based passenger announcement and passenger information systems, liquid-crystal display route maps, and mobile charging points inside coaches. Delhi Metro Rail Corporation also said passenger areas and driver cabins are being repainted and electrical panels upgraded. (indianexpress.com) A mid-life refurbishment is the rail equivalent of a major rebuild rather than a replacement: the train shell stays in service while ageing systems, interiors and safety equipment are renewed. Delhi Metro Rail Corporation had already put out a tender for “retrofit work in RS-1 trains,” with scope that included Ethernet-based passenger information, closed-circuit television and fire-detection systems. (backend.delhimetrorail.com) The focus on these trains reflects where they sit in Delhi Metro’s history. The Red Line and Blue Line were part of the system’s early build-out, and the oldest rolling stock now predates many of the network’s newer trains and onboard systems. (delhimetrorail.com) Delhi Metro Rail Corporation said the work is being split into three phases to keep trains running while coaches cycle through workshops. In the first phase, 12 trains were upgraded; in the second, 18 were refurbished and work on another 18 was lined up; the third phase covers 22 Blue Line trains through November 2027. (indianexpress.com) The procurement trail shows this was planned well before the latest social-media posts. A Delhi Metro Rail Corporation tender for the retrofit estimated the work at about Rs 102.06 crore and set a three-year completion period. (backend.delhimetrorail.com) Delhi Metro Rail Corporation’s latest annual report says the system now operates about 394.25 kilometers of network with 289 stations across 12 lines, including linked corridors run by other agencies. Upgrading older trains instead of withdrawing them lets the operator keep capacity on two of its longest-serving routes while bringing onboard systems closer to current standards. (backend.delhimetrorail.com) By the time the program ends in November 2027, riders on trains that entered service in the early 2000s are expected to see newer safety hardware, clearer onboard information and basic amenities that newer metro fleets already treat as standard. (indianexpress.com)