A world-class metro – for a bargain

Tripti (top) riding in the female-only carriage of the Delhi Metro. (Below) Rush hour passengers at the Rajiv Chowk station in New Delhi, India. — Karan Deep Singh/The New York Times

BY the early 2000s, the need for public transit in India’s cities was becoming dire.

The capital, New Delhi, already massive and sprawling, was choked with traffic congestion and air pollution.