Delhi Metro marked its highest-ever passenger boardings in a single day at 82,44,903 on September 17, 2026, setting a new milestone for the capital’s Metro Network. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) announced the record on its official X handle.
“DMRC records highest-ever passenger boardings of 82,44,903 on 17th September 2026,” it stated. The record came amid increased passenger movement during the ongoing Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) bus strike, with DMRC putting additional services in place to manage the higher footfall.
Boardings jump by over 1.73 lakh in a day
As per a report by PTI, the September 17 figure was 1,73,273 more than the 80,71,630 passengers boardings registered on September 16. DTC bus drivers have been on strike since Tuesday over demands including an increase in daily wages, payment for overtime and medical facilities.
The disruption to bus services coincided with a surge in demand on the Metro network, prompting DMRC to make additional operational arrangements for commuters.
Yellow Line records highest passenger boardings
In terms of individual Metro corridors, the Yellow Line recorded the highest passenger boardings at 20,89,465, as per DMRC data cited by PTI. The Blue Line was next with 17,28,658 passenger boardings. The Pink Line registered 9,41,527 boardings, whereas the Red Line recorded 8,80,059.
The total figure of 82,44903 also includes passenger numbers from the Airport Express Line and Rapid Metro Gurgaon services.
DMRC steps up services amid DTC strike
DMRC had made additional arrangements to manage the expected increase in passenger movement during the bus strike.
According to PTI, the Metro operator increased 20 trips across its network. Eight additional trains were also operated on Wednesday as per operational requirements, especially to accommodate increased passenger movement during peak hours.
For September 17, eight extra trains were to be operated between 8 am and 8 pm, depending on operational demands. DMRC has stated that the enhanced arrangements would continue to support commuters amid the increased footfall.
The Metro operator also advised passengers to plan their journey accordingly, particularly in peak hours when passenger movement was expected to be up.
Delhi Metro surpasses earlier single-day record
The latest milestone comes after Delhi Metro had previously registered its highest single-day highest single-day ridership of more than 81 lakh passenger journeys on August 8, 2025.
DMRC has said that its average daily ridership had risen significantly over year, from around 82,000 passenger journeys in its first year of operation to an average of 64.06 lakh journeys.
In a major feat, Delhi Metro trains had also maintained a 99.95 per cent punctuality rate in August 2026, even as the network expanded over the years.
For commuters, the latest record comes at a time when the Metro is handling additional passenger movement amid disruption of DTC services. DMRC’s additional services are intended to accommodate the higher footfall, especially during peak time.