Finding some quiet (and air conditioning) in Delhi

Usually when I’ve been moving around the city, I’ve taken auto rickshaws purely for the convenience. But after taking the metro, I think I’ve found my new method of transportation around here! At first when people told me they commute by metro, I assumed it was something similar to the local trains I took in Mumbai. Imagine train compartments always packed, people hanging from the open doorways and boys coming around to sell little trinkets. But the Delhi metro is far from that. In fact, it gives the New York City subway system a bad rap! 

For the most part, it seems to be a well run, world class designed subway system. With over 2 million people riding the metro each day, of course there’s going to be some delays in the trains but all in all it seems like a good system. So far the metro spans about 200 kilometers and is still in the process of being built. With financial help from Japan, they hope to finish the entire project by 2021. 

If you’re a frequent metro commuter, you simply buy a plastic rechargeable travel card for a deposit of Rs 50 (82 cents) and then just keep loading money on as needed. Otherwise, you can buy a token for your individual trip. In a complex city like Delhi, I’m a huge fan of this simple process. 

When I entered the station, honestly if I hadn’t known better I wouldn’t have been able to tell if I was in Delhi, Washington D.C. or London. Even though it opened in 2002 it still looks like it opened yesterday, with the clean floors and well-kept cabin cars. Maybe I was still trying to wrap my mind around the concept of trains in India not being the old blue local trains you see in Bollywood movies, but I was thoroughly impressed with it all. Having the metro cars air-conditioned didn’t hurt either! 

Call me crazy but it makes me want to live 45 minutes away from work just so I can get away from it all and have a peaceful commute! And better yet, they announce each upcoming stop then say “mind the gap”. A little part of me inside smiled when I heard this. Memories of another subway experience :) 

Who would have thought that I would find peace and quiet* in the metro? In a city that has around 20 million people, that’s hard to find. 

*Disclaimer: Peace and quiet will not be found during the hours of 7-10am and 4-8pm.