Karkardooma metro station: a practical guide to the Blue and Pink Line interchange

By Cross River Mall Guide editors · Updated 4 November 2026

Karkardooma (spelt Karkarduma on Delhi Metro signs and maps) is one of East Delhi's busiest interchange stations. It serves the Blue Line and the Pink Line, and it is the station most people use for Karkardooma, Anand Vihar's western side, Preet Vihar's eastern edge and the CBD Shahdara area, including Cross River Mall. This guide covers how the station works, how it differs from Karkarduma Court, and what you can reach on foot.

Lines and opening dates

The station has two sets of platforms:

• Blue Line (Vaishali branch): opened on 6 January 2010. The next station towards Vaishali is Anand Vihar; the next station towards Dwarka Sector 21 is Preet Vihar.
• Pink Line: opened on 31 October 2018. In one direction the next stop is Karkarduma Court; in the other it is Anand Vihar.

Both lines are elevated here. The station sits on Bhartendu Harish Chandra Marg, in the Arya Nagar and Dayanand Vihar part of Karkardooma.

Karkarduma or Karkarduma Court?

This is the most common mix-up in East Delhi. They are two different stations:

If a hearing notice, invitation or booking says "Karkardooma metro", check which one is meant. For the court complex, the Pink Line station named after it is far closer. Our guide to the nearest metro for Karkardooma Court explains the walk.

Changing between the Blue and Pink Lines

Interchange at Karkarduma means moving between two separate sets of platforms inside the station. Follow the line-colour signs. Allow a few minutes for the change, more at peak hours, when the passages and escalators get crowded. If you are travelling with heavy bags, lifts are available but may have queues.

Many Blue Line riders heading to Karkardooma Court or Cross River Mall simply leave the station here and walk or take an e-rickshaw instead of changing for one stop. Both choices work; it depends on the wait for the next Pink Line train and the weather.

Getting to the station

From central Delhi

Blue Line trains towards Vaishali run from Dwarka through Rajiv Chowk, Mandi House, Yamuna Bank, Laxmi Nagar and Preet Vihar to Karkarduma, so there is no change needed from Connaught Place.

From Noida

From Noida, ride the Blue Line towards Dwarka, change at Yamuna Bank and take a train towards Vaishali.

From Anand Vihar

Anand Vihar ISBT, the Anand Vihar railway terminal and the Namo Bharat station are all near Anand Vihar metro, which is one stop from Karkarduma on both the Blue and Pink Lines.

From the Pink Line ring

The Pink Line links Karkarduma with Mayur Vihar, Lajpat Nagar and South Delhi on one side, and with Welcome, Maujpur and North-West Delhi on the other. It is often the quickest way to reach East Delhi without passing through the central interchanges.

What is within walking distance

From Karkarduma you can reach on foot, in roughly 10 to 20 minutes:

• The Karkardooma residential pockets and DDA housing around the station.
• Cross River Mall in CBD Shahdara, about 1 km to the north (see which station is nearest to the mall).
• The Karkardooma Courts complex, a little over 1 km away; Karkarduma Court station is much closer to it.

Distances are measured from OpenStreetMap coordinates and are straight-line figures. Walking routes along Vikas Marg, Maharaja Surajmal Marg and Bhartendu Harish Chandra Marg are longer because of crossings and junctions.

Practical tips

• Peak hours: weekday mornings and evenings are crowded on the Blue Line towards central Delhi and back. If you can, travel before 8:30 am or after 10:30 am.
• Last trains: first and last train times are set per line and per station by DMRC and change from time to time. Check the official DMRC website or app the same day.
• Tickets: smart cards and QR tickets are accepted on both lines. You do not need a new ticket to change lines inside the station.
• E-rickshaws: they wait near the exits and are useful for the last kilometre. Agree on the fare before the ride.
• Accessibility: lifts and escalators connect street level and platforms, but individual lifts can be out of service; station staff can help.

The name

The station takes its name from Karkardooma, a locality in East Delhi that grew from an old village. You will see several spellings on signs and maps: Karkardooma, Karkarduma and Karkardoma. Delhi Metro uses "Karkarduma"; postal and court addresses usually use "Karkardooma". The area's PIN code and neighbourhoods are covered in our Karkardooma area guide.

Nearby stations if Karkarduma is crowded

Preet Vihar (Blue Line) and Anand Vihar (Blue and Pink) are one stop away in each direction. Karkarduma Court (Pink) is one stop north. If you only need to reach the area around the court complex or CBD Shahdara, starting or ending your trip at Karkarduma Court avoids the interchange crowds.