Delhi Metro runs first-ever train as special service on 23rd anniversary

New Delhi: The Delhi Metro on Thursday operated its first-ever train, TS#01, as a special service to mark the anniversary of the commencement of passenger services on the network in 2002.

The train was run on the 8.3-km Shahdara-Tis Hazari section, where Delhi Metro services were inaugurated more than two decades ago, enabling passengers to relive the experience of the historic inaugural run, according to a statement.

TS#01 was decorated with flowers and a commemorative banner on the occasion, while passengers travelling on the special service were greeted with flowers, it said.

The Delhi Metro began operations in 2002, starting a journey that has since grown into one of India's largest and most successful urban mass transit systems.

December 24 marks the completion of 23 years of its operations.

TS#01 continues to remain in active service. Originally introduced as a four-coach train, it was expanded to six coaches in 2014 and further to eight coaches in 2023 to meet rising passenger demand, the statement said.

According to the DMRC, the train has run nearly 2.9 million kilometres since 2002 and has safely carried over 60 million passengers, recording about 2.4 million door operations.

Manufactured by the MRM Consortium of South Korea, the train was shipped to Kolkata and then transported to Delhi via the Indian Railways network. The initial cost of the four-coach train was around Rs 24 crore, it stated.

The DMRC said the train's advanced propulsion system helps reduce carbon emissions by regenerating nearly 40 per cent of the power consumed through regenerative braking.

TS#01 has undergone two major overhauls and a mid-life rehabilitation in 2024, during which several upgrades were carried out, including a new passenger information and announcement system, CCTV cameras, emergency alarms, LCD-based dynamic route maps, improved fire detection systems and refurbished doors, the statement read.

The train has maintained a mean distance between failures of 85,000 km, significantly higher than the minimum contractual requirement of 40,000 km, the corporation said.

As the Delhi Metro completes 23 years of service, TS#01 continues to operate as a symbol of the network's journey, providing safe and reliable travel to commuters, it said.