New Delhi: The start of new academic session of Delhi University (DU) is proving beneficial to the Delhi Metro. It has recorded an increase of 23 percent both in ridership and revenue from the varsity station since the university reopened this week.

"While the average ridership at the Delhi University (DU) station was 27,300 on working days before July 16 (when DU reopened), it has gone up to 33,500 since," Delhi Metro spokesman Anuj Dayal said on Sunday.

"The revenue earned has also increased 23 percent from Rs.325,000 to Rs.400,000," he added.

He said with the fresh batches the sale of smart cards also has increased at the DU Metro station.

"While 138 smart cards were sold every day before July 16, this figure now stands at 289. In view of their demand, smart cards are also being sold at all ticket windows at Vishwavidyalaya apart from the customer care centres, as in other stations," Dayal informed.

Smart cards are cashless transaction cards modelled after bank ATM cards.

Authorities said that on the entire Delhi Metro network, the sale of smart cards per day has increased from 2,820 to 3,572. Currently a total of one million smart cards are in circulation.

Delhi Metro is the modern mass transport system of the national capital and it ferries over 725,000 passengers every day. Currently it is running over a network of 68 km and construction works are on to add 125 km more before the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi. IANS