Delhi Metro is one of the busiest metro systems in the country, with an average daily ridership of around 50 lakhs. In November 2024, it had recorded a historic milestone of 78 lakh ridership. While Delhi Metro mostly remains crowded, the public transporter is now rolling out a solution that will help people identify empty coaches before boarding the train. However, not everyone is aware of the tips and tricks associated with Delhi Metro. By using this facility, you can head directly to a less crowded coach, where you might even find a seat.

Notably, Delhi Metro has two peak hours – from 8 AM to 12 noon and 5 PM to 9 PM. During these times, it’s difficult to even stand, let alone find a seat. So, imagine if you could know which coach has empty space even before the train arrives at the platform – it would be a blessing. Although it might be hard to believe, Delhi Metro offers such a facility to its passengers. To check the coach status and the number of passengers, you can use the Passenger Information Display System (PIDS) installed on the platform of certain Delhi Metro stations.

Through PIDS, you can easily check which coach is empty and which is crowded. The PIDS displays at metro stations show not only the train’s arrival time but also the status of coaches C1, C2, C3, and so on, indicating the percentage of people seated in each. Delhi Metro introduced this facility because passengers often board any coach haphazardly. They face difficulties in crowded coaches, while other coaches on the same train might be less crowded. This happens because passengers are unaware of the crowd levels in other coaches.

The PIDS works on the weight of a coach. According to information, Delhi Metro uses software to compare the weight of each coach with its empty weight to provide information on the percentage of crowding in the train. This gives an estimated idea of how full each coach is. However, this facility is not yet available on all Delhi Metro routes. This service has been launched on a trial basis on Delhi Metro’s Magenta Line.

Once implemented across all metro lines in Delhi, it will allow passengers to identify which coaches are less crowded.