The Delhi Metro is India’s largest and busiest rapid transit system, and understanding its full shape — not just the one or two lines you use daily — makes navigating the city considerably easier. This guide covers the network as a whole: total size, every colour-coded line, the busiest interchanges, and which parts of this sprawling system matter most if you live in South Delhi.
Key Takeaways
- The Delhi Metro spans roughly 374–392 km on its own lines (about 416 km including the Gurugram and Noida corridors DMRC also operates), across 10+ colour-coded lines and 270+ stations.
- Rajiv Chowk, the Yellow-Blue Line interchange at Connaught Place, is generally the network’s busiest single station.
- For South Delhi specifically, the Magenta, Yellow, and Violet Lines together cover the vast majority of the district’s key localities.
Delhi Metro: The Numbers
- Total lines: 10 core colour-coded lines (Red, Yellow, Blue, Green, Violet, Pink, Magenta, Grey, Airport Express/Orange, and the newly developing Golden Line)
- Total length: Approximately 374–392 km on DMRC’s own network; around 416 km including the Gurugram Metro and Noida-Greater Noida corridors that DMRC also operates
- Total stations: Over 270, and climbing as Phase IV construction continues
- First opened: 25 December 2002, Red Line, Shahdara to Tis Hazari
- Operator: Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), a joint venture between the Government of NCT of Delhi and the Government of India
- Daily ridership: Several million passengers, among the highest of any metro system in the world
Delhi Metro is India’s second-oldest metro system after Kolkata’s, but by far its largest — and it continues to grow, with Phase IV corridors including the Lajpat Nagar-Saket line we’ve covered separately currently under construction.
Rajiv Chowk: Delhi’s Busiest Interchange
Just as Bangalore’s Majestic serves as its network’s central hub, Delhi’s equivalent is Rajiv Chowk, serving Connaught Place at the junction of the Yellow and Blue Lines. It’s consistently one of the busiest single stations anywhere in the network, and the point most cross-city journeys through Central Delhi eventually pass through. Kashmere Gate, connecting the Red, Yellow, and Violet Lines, runs a close second as the network’s other major interchange hub.
The Lines That Matter Most for South Delhi
While Delhi Metro’s full map covers North, East, West, and Central Delhi plus Gurugram, Noida, Faridabad, and Ghaziabad, three lines do almost all the work for South Delhi residents:
- Magenta Line – Runs through Vasant Vihar, Hauz Khas, Panchsheel Park, Chirag Delhi, and Greater Kailash; see our complete Magenta Line stops list
- Yellow Line – Covers Green Park, Hauz Khas, Malviya Nagar, Saket, Qutub Minar, and Chhatarpur, continuing on to Gurugram; see our Yellow Line stations list
- Violet Line – Serves Lajpat Nagar, Kailash Colony, Nehru Place, Kalkaji Mandir, and Jasola, continuing to Faridabad; see our complete Violet Line guide
The Full Line-Up: All 10 Delhi Metro Lines
- Red Line – The network’s first line, connecting Rithala to Shaheed Sthal (New Bus Adda)
- Yellow Line – Samaypur Badli to HUDA City Centre, Gurugram
- Blue Line – Dwarka Sector 21 to Noida Electronic City / Vaishali, with Rajiv Chowk as its key interchange
- Green Line – Inderlok/Kirti Nagar to Brigadier Hoshiar Singh
- Violet Line – Kashmere Gate to Raja Nahar Singh, Faridabad
- Pink Line – One of the network’s longest lines, forming a large loop across the city
- Magenta Line – Janakpuri West to Botanical Garden, Noida, India’s first driverless line
- Grey Line – A short connector line, the network’s shortest
- Airport Express (Orange Line) – New Delhi Railway Station to IGI Airport Terminal 3, the network’s fastest line
- Golden Line – Newly developing under Phase IV, linking Tughlaqabad to Terminal 1
What This Means for South Delhi Renters
Understanding the full network matters even if you only use two or three lines regularly, because it shapes property value across the district. Localities sitting on multiple lines or near major interchanges — Hauz Khas (Yellow + Magenta) and Kalkaji Mandir (Magenta + Violet) chief among them — tend to hold rental demand more consistently than single-line-served areas, a pattern we’ve traced throughout our locality guides, including our best commuting routes guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many lines does the Delhi Metro have?
The Delhi Metro operates 10 core colour-coded lines, with additional corridors like the Golden Line being added as Phase IV construction progresses.
How long is the Delhi Metro network?
The network spans roughly 374 to 392 kilometres on its own lines, and about 416 kilometres including the Gurugram and Noida corridors that DMRC also operates.
Which is the busiest interchange station in Delhi Metro?
Rajiv Chowk, where the Yellow and Blue Lines meet at Connaught Place, is generally considered the network’s busiest interchange.
Which Delhi Metro lines matter most for South Delhi?
The Magenta, Yellow, and Violet Lines together cover the vast majority of South Delhi’s key localities.
When did the Delhi Metro first open?
The first section, on the Red Line between Shahdara and Tis Hazari, opened on 25 December 2002.
Bottom Line
The Delhi Metro’s full scale can be overwhelming, but for South Delhi purposes, it comes down to three lines doing most of the work: Magenta, Yellow, and Violet. Understanding how they interconnect — and which localities sit at the interchanges — is one of the most useful things you can know before choosing where to rent. Browse current flats for rent across South Delhi to find a home on the line that works best for your commute.
Written by the South Delhi Rentwala Editorial Team, which maps Delhi’s full metro network against South Delhi’s rental and lifestyle patterns. Learn more about us.
Published Feb 10, 2026 · Last Updated July 10, 2026 · 8 min read