The centrally located ITO metro station was thrown open to commuters today, ending months of anticipation and delay. The station, which is tipped to be one of the busiest in the entire Delhi metro network, is expected to take traffic load off the busy ITO intersection.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Union Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu launched the formal extension of services of the Badarpur-Mandi House section till ITO.

Kejriwal used the occasion to make a political point when he said, "Delhi metro is the symbol of Centre-state cooperation and this is how the two should work in every field."

The single-line extension is a first in the history of Delhi metro, which was also behind the delay, as it was not permitted as per Metro Railway General Rules. Construction work was completed by January itself.

Later, the urban development ministry amended and notified changes to the Metro Railway General Rules, 2013, to allow operations on single-line sections, paving the way for CMRS inspection and its eventual launch.

Train services on this 971-metre section is estimated to benefit 22,000 passengers daily to begin with and is expected to rise to 31,000 by 2021, enhancing DMRC's annual revenue by Rs 8 crore.