Overview
The Delhi Metro is a rapid transit system serving Delhi and the adjoining satellite cities of Faridabad, Gurugram, Ghaziabad, Noida, Bahadurgarh, and Ballabhgarh in India's National Capital Region. It is India's largest and busiest metro rail system, with 10 colour-coded lines, 271 stations, and a total length of about 374 km. It makes over 4,300 trips daily and recorded an annual ridership of about 2.35 billion in 2025.
For a visitor, the metro is the cheapest, quickest, and most hassle-free way to move around the city. It is air-conditioned and clean, and there is almost nowhere in the city you cannot reach by metro. Riding it end to end is simple: buy a ticket or a smartcard at the station, pass through the fare gates, ride to your interchange or destination, then tap or insert your ticket to exit. Because the network is popular, rush-hour crowds at key interchanges can be heavy, so allow extra time at peak periods.
The system is built and operated by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), a joint venture between the Government of India and the Government of Delhi. The DMRC was certified by the United Nations in 2011 as the first metro rail and rail-based system in the world to receive carbon credits for reducing greenhouse-gas emissions.
The network
The Delhi Metro is the backbone of public transport in the capital region. It has a mix of underground, at-grade, and elevated stations, using broad-gauge and standard-gauge tracks. The network was developed in phases: Phase I was completed by 2006, Phase II in 2011, and Phase III was mostly complete by 2021, except for a small extension of the Airport Line that opened in 2023. Work on Phase IV began on 30 December 2019.
The colour-coded lines include:
- Red Line (Line 1) — Dilshad Garden to Rithala. The first section, Shahdara to Tis Hazari, opened on 25 December 2002.
- Yellow Line (Line 2) — Samaypur Badli to HUDA City Centre. The first underground section, Vishwavidyalaya to Kashmere Gate, opened on 20 December 2004. The line extends to Gurgaon.
- Blue Line (Lines 3/4) — Dwarka Sector 21 to Noida Electronic City, with branches; it connects to Noida and Ghaziabad.
- Green Line — introduced in Phase II.
- Violet Line — introduced in Phase II.
- Airport Express Line — introduced in Phase II; a small extension opened in 2023.
- Pink Line (Line 7) — a ring line along the Inner Ring Road, added in Phase III. Driverless operations began on 25 November 2021.
- Magenta Line (Line 8) — a ring line along the Outer Ring Road, added in Phase III. Driverless operations began on 28 December 2021, making it the Delhi Metro's and India's first driverless metro line.
- Grey Line (Line 9) — connects Dwarka and Najafgarh; the extension from Najafgarh to Dhansa Bus Stand opened on 18 September 2021.
The Delhi Metro also has interchanges with other regional systems. It connects with the Rapid Metro Gurgaon via a shared ticketing system, and on 22 October 2019 the DMRC took over operations of the financially troubled Rapid Metro Gurgaon. It also interchanges with the Noida Metro and with the Delhi–Meerut RRTS, India's fastest urban regional transit system.
Beyond the metro, Delhi is served by Indian Railways suburban and long-distance services from major stations including New Delhi (NDLS), Delhi Junction (DLI), Hazrat Nizamuddin (NZM), Anand Vihar Terminal (ANVT), Delhi Sarai Rohilla, and Delhi Cantonment. The city also has three major Inter-State Bus Terminals (ISBTs) at Kashmere Gate, Sarai Kale Khan, and Anand Vihar, with the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) as the major bus operator alongside state and private operators. The Namo Bharat rapid rail serves Sarai Kale Khan with trains from Meerut, and it is faster than the local trains between the two cities. Delhi has no tram, light-rail, or ferry system in the source material.
Tickets & fares
Delhi Metro fares are distance-based and divided into six distance slabs. The fares below are approximate and subject to change, so check current prices before you travel.
Monday to Saturday fares:
- 0–2 km: ₹11
- 2–5 km: ₹21
- 5–12 km: ₹32
- 12–21 km: ₹43
- 21–32 km: ₹54
- More than 32 km: ₹64
On Sundays and national holidays, fares are discounted by one slab:
- 0–2 km: ₹11
- 2–5 km: ₹11
- 5–12 km: ₹21
- 12–21 km: ₹32
- 21–32 km: ₹43
- More than 32 km: ₹54
Your journey is also time-limited from entry to exit. The limits given in the source material are 65 minutes for 0–2 km, 100 minutes for 12–21 km, and 180 minutes for 21–32 km. Other slabs are not stated, so keep an eye on the clock and avoid lingering inside the paid area.
You can buy tickets at station ticket offices, and the network also supports smartcards and tap-to-ride. The Rapid Metro Gurgaon shares a ticketing system with the Delhi Metro. Where the sources do not give a specific price or pass type, treat the details as approximate and confirm them at the station or on the operator's official site.
From the airport
Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) is the arrival point for many visitors into Delhi. The Airport Express Line is part of the Delhi Metro network and connects the airport area with the city; a small extension of the Airport Line opened in 2023.
Noida International Airport (DXN) at Jewar, about 70 km southeast of central Delhi, serves only domestic destinations as of June 2026 and lacks public transport, so buses and taxis are your best bet to get into the city centre. Hindon Airport (HDO) in Ghaziabad serves some regional flights as a civil enclave inside an air base.
If you are changing between terminals at Indira Gandhi International Airport, there is a complimentary inter-terminal bus, but you must present your boarding pass within the terminal and get a coupon that entitles you to travel for free. Note that these buses can go into city traffic and be subject to rush hour delays.
Etiquette & customs
Delhi's metro is generally orderly, but a few local customs will make your ride smoother:
- Queuing: Stand behind the line at platform doors and let passengers exit before you board. At busy interchanges, crowds can resemble Mumbai's, so keep your belongings close.
- Escalators: Stand on the right and walk on the left, as is common in many metro systems.
- Women's coaches: There are separate cabins for women, which are especially useful during rush hour.
- Priority seating: Seats are reserved for women, the elderly, and passengers with disabilities; offer your seat when needed.
- Eating and drinking: Eating and drinking are not permitted inside the paid area or on trains, so finish your snacks before you enter the gates.
- Rush-hour behaviour: Trains are frequent, but peak-hour crowds at key interchanges are heavy. Travel outside peak hours when you can, and keep your ticket or card ready at the gates.
Official links
Survival terms
- Metro / subway — मेट्रो (metro)
- Ticket — टिकट (tikat)
- Line — लाइन (lain)
- Entrance — प्रवेश (pravesh)
- Exit — निकास (nikas)
- Transfer / interchange — बदलाव (badlav)
- Single fare — एकल किराया (ekal kiraya)
- Day pass — दैनिक पास (dainik paas)
Keep a small amount of cash or a loaded smartcard handy for the fare gates, and avoid the busiest interchange stations during the morning and evening rush if you can.