Delhi Metro airport line to open by March

NEW DELHI - The Delhi Metro’s airport express line, the first public-private partnership project, will be operational in a month’s time, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said Saturday.

Dikshit took a ride on the 23-km link Saturday.

At a speed of 120 km per hour, it will take only 18 minutes to reach Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport from New Delhi Railway Station and another three minutes from the airport to Dwarka Sector 21.

“The airport express line is the first metro line in the country which comes right up to the airport. The line has been beautifully done and the formal opening will be done in a month’s time,” she told reporters after riding on the city centre-airport link.

Built at cost of Rs.5,700 crore, the line has six stations — New Delhi Railway Station, Shivaji Stadium, Dhaula Kuan, Delhi Aero City, Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport and Dwarka Sec-21.

Speaking about the third phase of Delhi Metro, the chief minister said: “The road map of third phase has been prepared. The group of ministers and Delhi Metro Managing Director E. Sreedharan are discussing it. The work will start soon.”

“There are no problems of funds for the third phase. It will be successfully completed and work for the fourth phase will start,” she said.

Expressing satisfaction over the airport line, Sreedharan said: “It is a beautiful and world class metro line. The trial runs will start within a week.”

The Metro chief also said that he will take up the matter of baggage checking with the civil aviation ministry and it will be sorted out soon.