Elattuvalapil Sreedharan, the man responsible for revolutionising transport in the national capital, Friday said he wants to step down as Delhi Metro chief by November.

Sreedharan, 73, said here at a press conference that he had requested the government to relieve him from the post of managing director of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation. His term ends in November.

"I have been at the helm of affairs for eight years now. It's a challenging post, which offers no peace of mind. This is not the age for me to work hard like this. I have requested the government to relieve me of this responsibility," Sreedharan said.

The Kashmere Gate-Central Secretariat section of the metro, to be inaugurated Saturday, was completed seven months ahead of schedule and is expected to attract 20,000 commuters per day.

Delhi Metro officials attribute this success to Sreedharan's leadership. "He sets high speed standards for his co-workers to follow. That competitive streak in him has motivated the 1,650-strong workforce to avoid delays or cost overruns and to transform the Delhi Metro into a technological marvel," an official told.

"Sreedharan's personality was a crucial factor. He led by example," the official said.

When asked what would happen to the remaining phases of the Delhi Metro after he quit, Sreedharan said, "The forthcoming phases are going to be even more difficult. But the kind of organisation we have built up and with the kind of values we have instilled in it, I am sure it will succeed even without me."

"However, it will definitely depend a lot on who is heading the organisation."

Sreedharan, however, made it clear that the government had not identified any successor to him yet and neither had he suggested anyone's name.

Currently, the Metro is used by 150,000 people in a city of 15 million.