The future is here: metro ride from Gurgaon to Old Delhi

Metro Station in Old Delhi with Street Scene Murals

I grew up in Delhi, or rather New Delhi. How much the city has changed and how much it has remained the same. Many things in the city have changed and taken huge leaps forward while others have meandered along in the most leisurely of ways.

The other day we traveled from Gurgaon, which is a new city abutting Delhi's southern side, to Old Delhi. Just a decade or so back the only way to have done this trip was by car or by a cab. Now we have the option of taking the metro.

Traveling by road has not changed much. Of course we now have an expressway which takes you to Delhi. But the number of cars on the road has gone up faster than the space on the expressway. So driving all the way to Old Delhi still remains somewhat of  a challenge. Finding a parking space at the other end still remains as seemingly impossible as it always was.

On the surface things have drifted along and not much has changed. Old Delhi is still much like it was. Traffic as chaotic as ever. Some times almost as if stuck in the past.

But the future is here, not on the surface, it is underground. For just INR 40 which is less than a dollar, you get to ride in a world class metro coach built on a world class metro track, with trains running every few minutes, like clockwork. The gleaming coaches of the metro whisk you in exact time to your destination. It is a different world.

So travel to Delhi and see how much of time coexists.

Also see: Getting around: freedom of a commute.