On New Year's eve, exit from Rajiv Chowk station to close at 9 pm

Anticipating a large crowd of commuters on New Year's eve, Delhi Metro authorities have decided that exit from Rajiv Chowk metro station will not be allowed after 9 pm, officials said on Wednesday.  Every year, revellers gather at Connaught Place, the heart of New Delhi, adjacent to the metro station, to ring in the new year.

"To ease overcrowding on New Year's Eve (31 December 2020), exit from Rajiv Chowk metro station will not be allowed after 9 PM onwards. Entry of passengers will be allowed till the departure of last train. Please plan your journey accordingly," the DMRC tweeted.

The Rajiv Chowk station is an interchange facility between the Blue Line and the Yellow Line of the network.

COVID-19 safety norms like wearing of mask and social distancing are in place in view of the pandemic, so the crowd should not get too big, a senior official said.

The DMRC's current operational network spans about 390 km with 285 stations across 11 corridors (including NOIDA–Greater NOIDA line). On regular days, the average daily ridership of the Delhi Metro is over 26 lakh.