The history of planning a Metro Project for Delhi dates back to the 70's. The Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) undertook the first exhaustive study on traffic and travel characteristics of Delhi in 1969-70. While bringing out extensive data describing the traffic and travel characteristics, it developed mathematical models to project travel demand. By examining several alternatives, it recommended a Mass Rapid Transit Network for Delhi. After a lot many more studies by various organizations of the government and up gradations due to the growth of the city and its traffic demands a final plan was drawn up.In 1987 the government further appointed a Task Force for assessing the choice of exact construction technology.

While suggesting some changes to the alignment of study group, it recommended for a pilot project based on M-Bahn Magnetic Levitation System in case of negation suggested for replacement by Light Rail Transit System. A Feasibility Report prepared by RITES recommended for a three-component system comprising of Rail corridors, Metro corridors and dedicated bus way totaling to 198.5 km.

In 1998 the project was finally given the go-ahead with stage one, consisting of some 62 kilometers of track, scheduled for completion by 2005. In total the first phase has a projected cost of $1.7 billion. The system is seen as New Delhi's biggest hope for easing the city's congestion problems and clearing the air. Once the Metro comes, the carbon dioxide levels are expected to be reduced by one tenth. Some four million vehicles, ranging from jam-packed buses to slow-moving rickshaws, cram the city's streets with thousands of new vehicles joining them every month.

New Delhi is the second Indian city to get a metro rail system and its network is considerably more high-tech than the one in Calcutta. The trains used on the network, built by a Japanese-Korean consortium, are comparable with those used on the world's most advanced metro systems. Initially around 60 train sets are to be imported for the system, with a further 180 sets to be built in India itself. With its sparking stations and sleek trains, officials say the new system will be more advanced than the Tokyo or New York subways and on par with those of Singapore and Hong Kong.

The total network contains 16 sections to be implemented in a sequence based on passenger kilometer carried per kilometer length of each section. The first phase of the network, now under execution comprises of 62.5 km of route length with 12.5 km underground called Metro corridor and 60 km surface / elevated called Rail Corridor. The three-phase network is aimed at meeting the projected traffic demand for the horizon year 2021.

Stage one of the new New Delhi metro was officially opened on 24th Dec 2002, by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, who was also given the honor of buying the system's first ticket. There was celebration and excitement on the start of the first phase covering the distance between Shahdara and Tis Hazari. It consists of 55.3 km and covers 3 routes: Delhi University to Central Secretariat, Shahdara to Nangloi, Sumzimandi to Holambikalan.

The Delhi Metro Rail Transit System (DMRTS) project report says 31.85 lac commuters will be carried in a day. The train can carry 30,000 to 80,000 persons per hour per direction. The trains will run every two-three minutes. Their survey says one train can carry the same amount of traffic that 9 lanes of buses can carry. 3,500 buses are expected to be less on the road when the first phase is completed. The Metro rail runs entirely on electricity. Efforts are underway to make the trains safe and ensure safety in the continuous supply of electricity. They also say that the Metro will consume just 3% of Delhi's power. The signaling requirements too have been worked out keeping in mind the smaller headway of train operation and consequent safety requirement for effective, smooth and safe operation. The strain on the driver is reduced by deploying a built in safety feature of speed regulation, braking and fast flow of information. Travel by the Metro is not expected to be expensive.