Delhi Metro starts cleaning and maintenance work, prepares detailed social distancing norms for resumption of services

New Delhi: Protocols for social distancing and other safety norms are being worked upon for passengers for using trains and station premises whenever services are ordered to be resumed, officials said on Wednesday. The Delhi Metro is closed since 22 March when the Janata Curfew was imposed in the wake of the novel coronavirus pandemic. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), in a statement, said it is working out detailed cleaning and maintenance procedures in view of the pandemic. [caption id=“attachment_4857661” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File image of Delhi Metro. PTI[/caption] “The exercise will be extremely exhaustive as it involves cleaning and maintenance of 264 stations, over 2,200 coaches and over 1,100 escalators and 1,000 lifts etc,” it said. Apart from this, a protocol for social distancing is being worked upon for passengers once they again start using trains and other metro premises. However, the date of opening of the Delhi Metro has still not been finalised and will be notified to the public in due course of time, the statement said. All systems of the metro, including signalling, electrical, rolling stock and tracks, will have to be tested in detail before services are ultimately started to ensure full safety for commuters, it said. Delhi Metro authorities have already trained their housekeeping and other staff to adhere to enhanced safety norms to make them ready to do their jobs whenever the services are ordered to be resumed, officials had said on Tuesday. The total number of coronavirus cases in the national capital on Wednesday mounted to 7,998 with 359 new cases, while the death toll mounted to 106.