Delhi has significant reliance on its transport infrastructure. The city has developed a highly efficient public transport system with the introduction of theDelhi Metro,[1] which is undergoing a rapid modernization and expansion since 2006.[2] There are 16.6 million registered vehicles in the city as of 30 June 2014, which is the highest in the world among all cities, most of which do not follow any pollution emission norm (within municipal limits), while the Delhi metropolitan region (NCR Delhi) has 11.2 million vehicles. Delhi and NCR lose nearly 42 crore (420 million) man-hours every month while commuting between home and office through public transport, due to the traffic congestion.[3] Therefore, serious efforts, including a number of transport infrastructure projects, are under way to encourage usage of public transport in the city.[4]
Prior to independence in the 1940s, public transport in the city was in private hands, with people relying mainly on tongas[citation needed] and the bus service of the 'Gwalior Transport Company' and 'Northern India Transport Company'.[5] But with the growing city, it soon proved inadequate, thusDelhi Transport Corporation (DTC) bus system was established in May 1948. The next big leap in city transport was the opening ofDelhi Metro, a rapid transit system in 2002.
Public transport in the metropolis includes theDelhi Metro, theDelhi Transport Corporation (DTC) andDIMTS (Delhi Integrated Multi Modal Transit System) bus system,auto-rickshaws,cycle-rickshaws, e-rickshaws, Grameen Seva and taxis. With the introduction of Delhi Metro, a rail-based mass rapid transit system, rail-based transit systems have gained ground. Other means of transit include suburban railways, inter-state bus services and private taxis which can be rented for various purposes. However, buses continue to be the most popular means of transportation for intra-city travel, catering to about 60% of the total commuting requirements.[6]
Private vehicles account for 30%[citation needed] of the total demand for transport, while the rest of the demand is met largely by auto-rickshaws, taxis, rapid transit system and railways.
Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) serves Delhi for both domestic and international air connections, and is situated in the south-western corner of the city. In 2024–2025, IGI recorded a traffic of 77,820,834 passengers, making it the ninth busiest airport worldwide.[7][8]Hindon Airport is a domestic airport operated by theAirports Authority of India atHindan Air Force Station of theIndian Air Force.[9] A new airport, theNoida International Airport is being built nearGreater Noida alongside the Delhi-Agra highway.[10]
The only international rail service inDelhi was theSamjhauta Express toLahore,which was stopped in 2019 following a standoff. It is possible to change trains to board rail services toBangladesh andNepal which commence in other cities of India. For the future, a high-speed rail link is being considered that would linkNew Delhi withKunming,China viaMyanmar[11]
Roads in Delhi are maintained by theMunicipal Corporation of Delhi,New Delhi Municipal Council,Delhi Cantonment Board,Public Works Department andDelhi Development Authority. At 1749 km of road length per 100 km2, Delhi has one of the highest road densities in India. Major roadways include the Ring Road and the Outer Ring Road, which had a traffic density of 110,000 vehicles per day in 2001. Total road length of Delhi was 28,508 km including 388 km of National Highways. Major road-based public transport facilities in Delhi are provided by DTC buses,auto-rickshaws,taxis and cycle-rickshaws.
Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) operates the world's largest fleet of CNG-powered buses. AfterPune, Delhi was the second city in India to have an operationalBus rapid transit (BRT) system. However the BRT was dismantled in 2016 due to accidents and congestion.[12]
Delhi has one of India's largest bus transport systems. Buses are the most popular means of transport catering to about 60% of Delhi's total demand.[13] Buses are operated by the state-owned Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC), which owns largest fleet ofCompressed Natural Gas (CNG)-fueled buses in the world, private bus operators and several chartered bus operators. It is mandatory for all private bus operators to acquire a permit from the State Transport Authority. The buses traverse various well-defined intra-city routes. Other than regular routes, buses also travel on Railway Special routes; Metro Feeder routes. Mudrika (Ring) and Bahri Mudrika (Outer Ring) routes along Ring and Outer-Ring road respectively are amongst the longest intra-city bus routes in the world. The DTC has started introducing air-conditioned buses and brand new low-floor buses (with floor height of 400 mm and even higher on one third area as against 230 mm available internationally.) on city streets to replace the conventional buses. A revamp plan is underway to improve bus-shelters in the city and to integrateGPS systems in DTC buses and bus stops so as to provide reliable information about bus arrivals.In 2007, after public uproar concerning the large number of accidents caused by privately owned Blueline buses, the Delhi government, under pressure from theDelhi High Court decided that all Blueline Buses would be phased out and replaced by low floor buses of the state-owned DTC.[14] The Delhi Government has decided to expedite this process and will procure 6,600 low floor buses for the DTC by commonwealth games next year in mid 2010.[15]
The fleet size of buses in Delhi is as follows:
| Ownership | Fleet Strength | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| DTC | 4359[16] | including 1,250 e-buses[16] |
| DIMTS | 3126[16] | also known as Cluster Buses |
| Delhi Metro Feeder | 742[17] | including 100 e-buses and additional 380 buses operated byGNCTD[18][19] |
| Total | 8227 |
The auto-rickshaws (popularly known asAuto) are an important and popular means of public transportation in Delhi, as they are cheaper than taxis. Hiring anAuto in Delhi is very tricky, as very few auto-drivers agree to standard meter charges. The typical method is tohaggle for an agreeable rate.
Taxis can be easily hailed in Delhi. As of December 2017, there are over 148,434 registered taxis in Delhi.[20] The Indian Tourism Ministry and various private owners operate most taxis. The Tourism Ministry grants private companies permits to operate taxis. In recent years, online cab services likeUber andOla have become popular in Delhi.[21]
Cycle-rickshaws are a popular mode of travel for short distance transits in the city. The pedal-powered rickshaws are easily available throughout the city and reckoned for being cheap and environment friendly. Often, tourists and citizens use them for joyrides, too. Of late, they have been phased out from the congested areas ofChandni Chowk because of their slow pace, which often leads to traffic snarls on the streets ofOld Delhi.
Inner Ring Road is one of the most important "state highways" in Delhi. It is a 51 km long circular road, which connects Northern, eastern, Western and Southern areas in Delhi. Owing to more than 2 dozen grade-separators/flyovers, the road is almost signal-free. The road is generally 8-laned with a few bottlenecks at certain stretches, which are being removed. The road has already achieved its carrying capacity of 110000 vehicles per day and would require an addition of more lanes to fulfill needs of increasing traffic by 2011.
Outer Ring Road is another major artery in Delhi. The road which was almost neglected till the early 2000s is now an important highway that links far-flung areas of Delhi. The road is 6-8 lane and has grade-separators and a large number are under construction as a part of project to make the artery signal free. The road along with the ring road forms a ring which intersects all the National Highways passing through Delhi.
Delhi is connected by NH 1, NH 2, NH 8, NH 10 and NH 24. It also has three expressways (six- and eight-lane) that connect it with its suburbs.Delhi–Gurgaon Expressway connects Delhi with one of its financial hubs,Gurgaon,DND Flyway connects Delhi with its other financial hub,Noida andDelhi–Faridabad Skyway which connectsFaridabad, major suburb to Delhi. Four more expressways are also planned.
Noida–Greater Noida Expressway connects Noida with Greater Noida, which is an upcoming financial and commercial hub and is also to have a new Jewar International Airport. A 135.6-km long Western Peripheral Expressway, also known as theKundli–Manesar–Palwal Expressway, which became operational on 19 November 2018, will relieve Delhi of the congestion of heavy night traffic and will act as a bypass for the night vehicles.
TheDND–Faridabad–KMP Expressway connects the junction ofDND Flyway andRing Road atMaharani Bagh inDelhi withKMP Expressway at Khalilpur,Nuh district (nearSohna) inHaryana.[23]
NH 24 or Ghaziabad Road is a four-lane national highway which connects Delhi to Lucknow viaGhaziabad. As the Commonwealth Village is located close by Yamuna bridge on this highway, underpasses and flyover being built will help facilitate traffic between the eastern areas of Delhi/ Western UP and the rest of the city.
Rail based transport in the city has started to gain popularity with the introduction of Delhi Metro. Ring-Railway, which runs parallel to the Ring-Road system is another rail-based intra-city transport facility in Delhi.
The Delhi Metro is being built in phases. Rapid increase of population coupled with large-scale immigration due to high economic growth has resulted in ever increasing demand for better transport, putting excessive pressure on the city's existent transport infrastructure. Like many other cities in the developing world, the city faces acute transport management problems leading to air pollution, congestion and resultant loss of productivity. In order to meet the transportation demand in Delhi, the State and Union government started the construction of a Mass Rapid Transit system, known as Delhi Metro in 1998. The project started commercial operations on 25 December 2002 betweenShahdara andTis Hazari) on theRed Line. It has set performance and efficiency standards and is continuously expanding. As of June 2025, the network consists of nine colour-coded regular lines along with the fasterAirport Express line, with a total length of 353.23 kilometres (219.49 mi)[24] serving257 stations.[24] The system has a mix of underground, at-grade, and elevated stations using both broad-gauge and standard-gauge.[25] Phase IV (108.5 km) will be completed by 2026,[26] with the network totaling 413.8 km, making it longer than theLondon Underground.
Phase I consisted of 58 stations and 65.0 km (40.4 mi) of route length,[27] of which 13.0 km (8.1 mi) is underground and 52.1 km (32.4 mi) surface or elevated. The inauguration of theDwarka–Barakhamba Road corridor of the Blue Line marked the completion of Phase I in October 2006.[28]
Phase II of the network consists of 124.6 km (77.4 mi) of route length and 85 stations,[27] and is fully completed, with the first section opened in June 2008 and the last line opened in August 2011.[29]
Phase-III has 28 underground stations, 2 new lines and 11 route extensions, totaling 167.27 km (103.94 mi), with a cost of₹350 billion (US$4.1 billion) and having an expected completion date of mid 2019. Phase IV (113.2 km or 70.3 mi) is planned to be completed by 2026.[30][26]
Delhi Metro lines that operate as of January 2022:
| Delhi Metro: present network | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Line No. | Line Name | First operational[31] | Last extension[31] | Stations[32] | Length (km)[32] | Terminals | Rolling stock | Track gauge (mm) | |
| 1 | Red Line | 2002-12-24 | 2019-03-08 | 29 | 34.55 | Shaheed Sthal | Rithala | 39 trains | 1676 |
| 2 | Yellow Line | 2004-12-20 | 2015-11-10 | 37 | 49.02 | Samaypur Badli | HUDA City Centre | 64 trains | |
| 3 | Blue Line | 2005-12-31 | 2019-03-09 | 50 | 56.11 | Noida Electronic City | Dwarka Sector 21 | 74 trains | |
| 4 | 2010-01-07 | 2011-07-14 | 8 | 8.51 | Yamuna Bank | Vaishali | |||
| 5 | Green Line | 2010-04-03 | 2018-06-24 | 23 | 28.79 | Inderlok | Brigadier Hoshiyar Singh | 20 trains | 1435 |
| 2011-08-27 | – | Ashok Park Main | Kirti Nagar | ||||||
| 6 | Violet Line | 2010-10-03 | 2018-11-19 | 34 | 46.34 | Kashmere Gate | Raja Nahar Singh | 44 trains | |
| Airport Express | Orange Line | 2011-02-23 | – | 6 | 22.91 | New Delhi | Dwarka Sector 21 | 10 trains | |
| 7 | Pink Line | 2018-03-14 | 2021-08-06 | 38 | 59.24 | Majlis Park | Shiv Vihar | 42 trains | |
| 8 | Magenta Line | 2017-12-24 | 2018-05-29 | 25 | 37.46 | Botanical Garden | Janakpuri West | 26 trains | |
| 9 | Grey Line | 2019-10-04 | 2021-09-18 | 4 | 5.19 | Dwarka | Dhansa Bus Stand | 3 trains | |
| 2002-12-24 | 2021-09-18 | 254 | 348.12 | 310 trains | |||||
Ring railway is a 35-kilometre circular railway network in Delhi that runs parallel to theRing Road. It was laid back in 1975 primarily to service freight trains that could bypass the crowded and passenger-heavyOld Delhi andNew Delhi railway stations. The network was upgraded for the1982 Asian Games with the introduction of 24 additional services. Its circular route is 35 km (22 mi) long, which the trains takes 90–120 minutes to complete, both clockwise and anti-clockwise, via theHazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station. The ring railway service was quite popular through the 80s and 90s when Delhi's transport infrastructure was just gathering pace, but since then, with the rapid expansion of theDelhi Metro coupled with anextensive bus network, the ring railway has remained neglected by the city as well as theRailways. On average, only 3700 passengers take the trains every day. The biggest reason for the failure of the railway is a lack of a feeder network, such as approach roads and feeder buses to the stations. The stations are situated at remote locations and are difficult to access by passengers. There is also a problem of security as many stations have been encroached. The trains on this network also run behind schedule most of the time. The network is now utilized as a freight corridor and limited passenger train services are available during peak hours.[33][34][35]
Delhi is connected to whole of the nation throughIndian Railways vast network.New Delhi Railway Station which is one of the most busiest stations in Indian Railway system serves as headquarters ofNorthern Railways. A large load of inter-state transport is borne by railways. A large number of local passenger trains connect Delhi to its sub-urban areas and thus provide convenient travel for daily commuters. Railways also share a large amount offreight traffic in Delhi.
Regular train services available from railway stations in the city. The services are extended to all the states in the country. Services are provided by the national railway operatorIndian Railways. The 5 railway stations in the city are:
The city is believed to have the highest road density in the country and is well connected to the rest of the nation through five major national highways, namely NH 1, NH 2, NH 8, NH 10 and NH 24. The highways around city are being upgraded into expressways with ultra-modern facilities.
Regular bus services are available frominterstate bus terminals in the city. The services are extended to all the northern states and the neighbouring areas of Delhi. Services are provided by state transport corporations and several private operators.
Delhi Transport Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (DTIDC) operates 4 majorInter-State Bus Terminals (ISBT):[36]
Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) serves Delhi for both domestic and international connections, and is situated in the southwestern corner of the city, alongside Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway. In the year 2024–25, IGI recorded a traffic of 77,280,234 passengers.[8] Being the busiest airport in the South Asian region, IGI airport has three terminals - Terminal 1 & Terminal 2 for domestic operations only and Terminal 3 - with mixed use i.e. primarily International and the rest of the domestic operations(Air India,Air India Express, and select flights ofSpiceJet andIndiGo) - in addition to T1 & T2[39]
The airport is witnessing massive expansion and modernisation by a consortium led by GMR Infra. The new Terminal T3 was inaugurated in 2010 in line with the historic Commonwealth Games being held in the city and today, IGI is India's busiest airport and the ninth busiest airport in the world.[8] Terminals 4, 5 and 6 will be built in a phased manner.[40]
Hindon Domestic Airport in Ghaziabad was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the second airport for the Delhi-NCR Region on the 8 March 2019.[41]
Apart from the expanded IGI airport, Delhi will also receive a second international airport by 2025. The airport, being named asNoida International Airport, is being built inJewar in Greater Noida. It will be around 75 km from IGI airport.
The total length of theYamuna inside Delhi is 22 km from theWazirabad barrage to theOkhla barrage. This stretch of the river has 14 bridges (nine of them for road traffic), including those built byDelhi Metro (4) andIndian Railways (1). 4 bridges are under construction — 1 for road traffic and 3 for rail traffic.[42][43][44]
There are many transport infrastructure projects underway in Delhi. They are listed below -
Owing to a large number of complaints from consumers, the Delhi Government in association with Delhi Traffic Police runs a staffed transport helpline which can be reached at 011-23010101 while dialing from within the city. Citizens can make traffic related complaints and suggestions. One can also report traffic violations observed and misbehavior/refusal/overcharging by autorickshaws, buses and taxis.[57]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)Among important railway projects in the city where work will continue is construction of the New Yamuna bridge – being built parallel to the Old Yamuna bridge (Loha Pul). The new structure was set to be completed by December 2020, but COVID-19 delayed work.
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