Delhi Metro tells Supreme Court no train trips were cancelled during protests

The Delhi Metro ran its complete train timetable without a single cancellation during the 10 October protests in the national capital, maintaining full transit connectivity across the city, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation has told the Supreme Court.

In affidavits submitted to the court, the network operator rejected claims of a transport shutdown, stating that all 271 scheduled trains were deployed into service and operated every one of their 4,157 planned runs. Around 32 lakh passengers travelled on the system during the day, demonstrating the resilience of the capital's public transport backbone.

Network operations during the protest

The corporation explained that while street demonstrations led some commuters to stay indoors, transport infrastructure remained robust and active. Entry and exit restrictions were confined to 45 out of the network's 303 stations following security assessments by Delhi Police, down from an initial estimate of 57. More than 85 per cent of all metro stations remained entirely accessible throughout the day.

Crucially, passenger transfers across lines were never suspended. Even at the 45 stations where street-level gates were regulated for crowd safety, 14 major interchange hubs continued uninterrupted line changes. Commuters changing transit corridors at Rajiv Chowk, Kashmere Gate, Central Secretariat, Mandi House, Hauz Khas, Dilli Haat-INA, and Netaji Subhash Place moved across lines without disruption.

"Over 85% of the network (258 stations) remained fully operational, accessible, and functional for commuters," the DMRC affidavit stated, adding that all temporary gate regulations were completely withdrawn by 10 p.m. on 10 October.

What the Supreme Court heard

The filings were made before a bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant following petitions filed by CPI(M) leader M.A. Baby and advocate Shailendra Mani Tripathi. The petitioners had alleged that station restrictions conflicted with a 9 October court order directing authorities to avoid complete transit shutdowns.

The DMRC told the court that the earlier directions had been obtained without hearing the operator and that claims of an administrative paralysis were groundless. The corporation kept commuters constantly briefed on regulated gates via its Sarthi mobile app, digital feeds, and regular station announcements.

DMRC chairperson D. Thara, who submitted an affidavit seeking discharge from contempt proceedings initiated during an 11 October hearing, tendered an unconditional apology for any procedural misunderstanding while assuring the court that the network prioritised both passenger mobility and public order under police guidelines.