The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) will start train services early on Friday, August 15, 2025, to help people attend the Independence Day ceremony at the Red Fort. Services on all metro lines will begin at 4:00 AM, the earliest start time of the year, allowing special guests, invitees, and the general public to reach the venue on time.
From 4:00 AM to 6:00 AM, trains will operate at 30-minute intervals. After 6:00 AM, normal schedules will resume for the rest of the day.
Special Travel Passes for Invitees
DMRC will provide special QR tickets to individuals holding valid invitation cards issued by the Ministry of Defence. These tickets will cover travel to and from the ceremony venue, with costs reimbursed by the ministry. The nearest metro stations to the Red Fort are Lal Quila, Jama Masjid, and Delhi Gate.
Festival Rush Management
The announcement comes just days after DMRC recorded its highest-ever single-day ridership — 81,87,674 passenger journeys — on August 8, 2025. The surge was linked to pre–Raksha Bandhan travel. To handle the crowd, the metro operator added 92 extra train trips on August 8 and 455 additional trips on August 9, alongside increased services during peak hours and crowd control measures at major interchange stations.
DMRC said such operational changes are routine during major festivals to ensure smooth travel for passengers.
