From Kyiv to Delhi: How underground metro stations double up as bomb shelters in times of conflict

NEW DELHI: Metro stations have served as bomb shelters in times of conflict across the world. From the use of London metro tunnels during World War II to people spending nights on mattresses spread out in the subway stations in Kyiv, Ukraine , during the hostility with Russia , underground tracks have played a crucial role in protecting people.

Deep beneath the bustling streets of the capital, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has 71 underground stations, with Hauz Khas station being the deepest at 29 metres and Chawri Bazar at 25m. The average depth of the stations is 15m below ground. Of the total operational network of 394.4km, the underground length spans around 106.1km.



Cities and govt often use underground subway stations as shelters during aerial attacks and conflicts across the world. In times of conflict, especially with the escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, underground infrastructures can accordingly provide a safe haven for residents if needed.

Some subway systems have been designed for the dual purposes of transportation and bomb shelters. For instance, a concealed network of passageways , underground chambers and subway stations lies below the roads in Moscow, which served as crucial defensive infrastructure during that country's most challenging historical periods. These stations were designed both for transportation and as nuclear bunkers during the Cold War.

Park Pobedy station in Moscow, at depth of 84m , is one of the deepest metro stations in the world alongside Admiralteyskaya station in St Petersburg at 86m.

Even recently, Kyiv's underground 52 metro stations , which were built during the Cold War , transformed into vital bomb shelters , protecting residents from air raids. Throughout 2023, the metro network served as a sanctuary for hundreds of thousands of civilians seeking protection. People carrying mattresses and accompanied by their pets fled to these underground spaces to spend the night to prevent themselves from air strikes. Apart from safety, these stations became a community place for rest , food and water and to charge mobile phones.

A similar example is the Prague underground railway network, which incorporated a sophisticated defence structure known as OSM, constructed in the 1970s during the Cold War. These fortified underground facilities were engineered to safeguard citizens from nuclear, chemical and biological warfare for a duration of up to 72 hours. The protective infrastructure includes heavy-duty blast doors weighing around 20 tonnes and advanced air purification systems, which would become operational if the external environment becomes polluted with radioactive particles or if the city faces biological or chemical warfare attacks.

Similarly, many underground railway stations across Germany were transformed into protective shelters during the Cold War. These facilities underwent modifications or were specifically constructed to safeguard the population against nuclear strikes. Last year, German authorities reportedly compiled an inventory of both govt and private structures suitable for conversion into emergency bunkers when required.

Though not designed as a bomb shelter, Delhi Metro's underground network still offers a considerably safer environment than above ground during aerial attacks or emergencies and can accommodate a large population. Of the 71 underground metro stations in the network, the Yellow Line has the maximum underground stations at 20, among them Chawri Bazar and Hauz Khas , which is also an interchange with the Magenta Line. The 40km Magenta Line has 15 underground stations, while the Pink Line , the longest line stretching around 59.2km, has 12 underground stations, followed by 11 on the Violet Line.