Face value: Making the trains run on time

摘要

All over India, the ultra-modern jostles jarringly beside the medieval—or, these days, underneath it. At Chawri Bazar, in old Delhi, bicycle-rickshaw riders tout for business, while stray cows lounge around in the middle of the roundabout. They are ready to greet those emerging from the 21st century—the deepest station in Delhi's underground-rail network. The passengers have travelled on fast, punctual trains, and arrived to a spotlessly clean station. The ticket barriers, using tokens and smart cards, are state-of-the-art, and the three-stage escalator glides smoothly up to the surface.