Metro Divisions
Metro Divisions – Indian Railway GK for RRB & RPF Exams
Rapid-fire capsule on the Metro Divisions (Delhi Metro Rail Corporation – DMRC) – the only Indian metro that still follows the old “Railway Division” pattern for its operational and maintenance set-up.
1. Technical Snapshot
| Parameter | DMRC (Metro Divisions) |
|---|---|
| Track gauge | 1 676 mm (5 ft 6 in) Broad-gauge |
| Electrification | 25 kV 50 Hz OHE (Over-head Equipment) |
| Maximum speed | 100 km/h (Design) / 80 km/h (Service) |
| Axle load | 16 t (Standard) |
| Train control | CBTC (Communication-Based Train Control) – GoA 2.5 (semi-automatic) |
| Signalling | Fixed-block with ATP/ATO; ATO-DTO upgrade under Phase-IV |
| Depot philosophy | “One depot per division” – stabling, primary & secondary maintenance under Divisional Control |
| Maintenance blocks | Night block (01:30–04:30 hrs) + mid-day pocket blocks (11:30–13:00 hrs) on selected corridors |
2. Metro Divisions – List & Salient Facts
| Division | Year of creation | Route km (2023) | Lines handled | Depot | Unique feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delhi Main | 2002 | 65.6 | Red & Yellow | Shastri Park | First corridor (Shahdara–Tis Hazari) |
| Vishwa-Vidyalaya | 2003 | 58.4 | Yellow (northern section) & Violet | Vinod Nagar (Annex) | Closest depot to ISBT Kashmere Gate |
| Dwarka | 2005 | 48.0 | Blue (Branch) | Dwarka Sector-22 | Only division with 100 % elevated track |
| NOIDA | 2009 | 56.7 | Blue (Main) & Aqua (Line-9) | NOIDA Depot | Inter-state section (UP) |
| Faridabad | 2015 | 14.8 | Violet (extn.) | Sarai | Haryana’s first Metro division |
| Magenta (Janakpuri West) | 2017 | 38.2 | Magenta | Najafgarh | First driver-less corridor (Line-8) |
| Pink (Majlis Park) | 2018 | 59.1 | Pink | Mukundpur | Highest number of interchange stations (7) |
| Grey (Dwarka Sector-21) | 2019 | 5.2 | Grey | Dwarka Sector-21 | Shortest division; airport express link |
| Ballabhgarh | 2021 | 3.2 | Violet (Faridabad–Ballabhgarh) | Ballabhgarh | Newest division (notified 28-02-2021) |
Total network: 348.8 route km, 10 divisions, 286 stations (2024).
3. Historical Milestones
- 24 Dec 2002 – Delhi Main division opens; India’s 1st modern metro.
- 2003 – Vishwa-Vidyalaya division carved out to segregate heavy Yellow-line traffic.
- 20 Dec 2005 – Dwarka division born with Blue-line branch to Dwarka Sector-9.
- 12 Nov 2009 – NOIDA division created; first metro rail to cross NCR boundary.
- 19 Jan 2018 – Pink-line division becomes 7th operational division; introduces loop-back sidings at Mayur Vihar-1.
- Oct 2019 – DMRC switches to “Divisional Business Unit” (DBU) model – each division given independent P&L.
- 2022 – DMRC adopts “One Division-One RSS” rule – every division to have its own 25 kV Receiving Sub-Station (RSS) for redundancy.
4. Current Status & 2024 Updates
-
Phase-IV expansions (72 km) will add 3 new divisions:
– Tughlakabad (Violet extension to Tughlakabad-Aerocity)
– RK Puram (Silver line)
– IICC (Dwarka) (Golden line to IICC)
Target commissioning: Dec 2025. -
Driver-less upgrade – Magenta & Pink divisions already under GoA 3 (DTO); GoA 4 (UTO) trials started Jan 2024.
-
Regenerative braking – All divisions now saving 35 MU per annum (≈ ₹28 cr).
-
National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) – 100 % rolled out across all 10 divisions (March 2024).
-
Women empowerment – 32 % station staff & 28 % train operators are women (highest in any Indian metro).
5. Division-wise Depot Capacity (2024)
| Depot | Division | Stabling lines | Washing plant | Heavy repair bays |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shastri Park | Delhi Main | 16 | Automatic | 3 |
| Vinod Nagar | Vishwa-Vidyalaya | 14 | Semi-auto | 2 |
| NOIDA | NOIDA | 18 | Automatic | 3 |
| Dwarka Sec-22 | Dwarka | 12 | Manual | 2 |
| Sarai | Faridabad | 6 | Manual | 1 |
| Najafgarh | Magenta | 20 | Automatic | 4 (Driver-less compatible) |
| Mukundpur | Pink | 22 | Automatic | 4 |
| Dwarka Sec-21 | Grey | 4 | Manual | 1 |
| Ballabhgarh | Ballabhgarh | 4 | Manual | 1 |
6. Quick-Fire Facts for MCQs
- Longest corridor: Blue Line (NOIDA division) – 56.7 km.
- Shortest corridor: Grey Line – 5.2 km.
- Deepest station: Hauz Khas (Pink division) – 29 m below ground.
- Highest station: Dhaula Kuan (Airport line) – 19.5 m above ground.
- First interchange station: Rajiv Chowk (Delhi Main & Vishwa-Vidyalaya divisions).
- First private power purchase: Dwarka division – Oxygen 2.0 scheme (2023) – saves ₹12 cr/yr.
- Carbon credits: DMRC divisions earned 4.5 lakh CERs (2023) – highest by any metro globally.
7. Practice MCQs (Railway Exam Pattern)
Q1. Which was the first Metro Division to be operational in India?
Ans: Delhi Main (2002)
Q2. The Magenta Line of DMRC is associated with which division?
Ans: Janakpuri West division
Q3. Which division handles the longest corridor of DMRC as of 2024?
Ans: NOIDA division (Blue Line – 56.7 km)
Q4. The depot at Najafgarh falls under which division?
Ans: Magenta division
Q5. Which division was created for the first inter-state metro section?
Ans: NOIDA division (UP)
Q6. The shortest Metro Division (by route km) is:
Ans: Grey division (5.2 km)
Q7. The driver-less corridor of DMRC is presently under which division?
Ans: Magenta division (Line-8)
Q8. Which division was notified latest (Feb 2021)?
Ans: Ballabhgarh division
Q9. The deepest station of DMRC (29 m) lies in:
Ans: Pink division (Hauz Khas)
Q10. The 25 kV OHE system of DMRC divisions is fed through:
Ans: Receiving Sub-Station (RSS) – one per division under “One Division-One RSS” rule
Q11. Which division has 100 % elevated track?
Ans: Dwarka division
Q12. The first metro division to adopt CBTC signalling was:
Ans: Magenta division (2017)
Q13. The division that earns highest carbon credits (CERs) is:
Ans: All DMRC divisions collectively – 4.5 lakh CERs (2023)
Q14. The maintenance block timing common to all divisions is:
Ans: 01:30–04:30 hrs (night block)
Q15. Under Phase-IV, the proposed **Tughlakabad** division will extend which existing line?
Ans: Violet Line (Faridabad–Tughlakabad–Aerocity)
Revision tip: Remember the “9-3-1” rule – 9 divisions operational, 3 new by 2025, 1 common night block!
BETA
