Have a plane to catch? Take the Metro route

Airport Express Line opens on Wednesday

Have a plane to catch? Take the Metro route

Airport Express Line opens on Wednesday

Good news for the frequent air travellers in the city. Not that there is any reduction in air fares, but opening of the Delhi Metro Express Line will definitely bring some relief for people who take flights in and out of the Capital. The line will be operational from Wednesday.

Both Delhi Airport Metro Express Private Limited (DAMEPL) - the Reliance Infra-led consortium that will run the corridor - and Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) said they are hopeful that the line will be begin operations on February 23, with four stations - New Delhi, Shivaji Stadium, IGI Airport and Dwarka Sec-21.

The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) is likely to complete its deployment process by Monday, said official sources. Reports suggest a formal inauguration of the high-speed link, the first Metro corridor in the country to come up on the Public-Private-Partnership mode, is likely to take place later. Delhi will be among the few cities in the world to have a high-speed metro link to the airport, finally bringing the Indira Gandhi International airport closer to the heart of the capital.

The other two stations - Dhaula Kuan and Delhi Aero City - are expected to be ready by the time the formal inauguration takes place. "We are hoping that the Airport Line will begin operations from Wednesday. It also depends on the deployment of forces by CISF," said officials. CISF sources said they have fast-tracked the deployment of over 400 personnel on the high-speed corridor and the process is likely to be over in a day or two. "It should be over in a day or two," sources said.

The fast-tracking of deployment comes days after the Home Ministry convened a meeting between CISF, DAMEPL and Delhi Metro on the issue. When the commercial operations start on Wednesday, passengers will not be able to check-in their baggage at the Metro stations as talks with Air India and other private airlines in this regard are still on. Sources said the facility will be available by the time the formal inauguration takes place, possibly in March.

Extension plans
After Noida and Gurgaon, residents of Ghaziabad will be able to enjoy Metro comfort from June, when the Delhi Metro's small stretch connecting Anand Vihar with Vaishali in Uttar Pradesh will be made operational. Currently, residents of Ghaziabad have to come to Anand Vihar ISBT to take the Metro. While Noida residents started enjoying Metro ride in November 2009, the millennium city of Gurgaon got the new age transport system last June. The satellite city of Faridabad is expected to get Metro in the DMRC's phase-III project.