India’s first high-speed metro connecting the airport directly to the central business district of New Delhi, Delhi Airport Metro Express Private Limited (DAMEPL), has suspended its operations until August, citing major construction defects.
The line will only be reopened following an inspection by the Commissioner for Metro Rail Safety after faults were identified on the interface between the girder and the pillar at several places along the line.
Urban Development Ministry Secretary Sudhir Krishna said: “Initially, it was thought that repairs would be carried out without having to suspend service, but the concessionaire decided that for carrying out proper repairs in lesser time, it is best to shut down the service.”
The Airport Express carries more than 15,000 passengers a day.
The $1.2 billion metro project was developed on public private-partnership (PPP) model by a consortium of Reliance Infra and CAF, Spain, which bagged the contract from Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC).
Reacting to claims that DAMEPL had suspended operations after suffering loses, CEO (Infrastructure) of Reliance Infra Sumit Banerjee said: “The closure had nothing to do with the company not making profits, but the decision to shut down the services is purely based on safety and not on finances.”
The route covers a total length of 23 kms, encompassing six stations including New Delhi, Shivaji Stadium, Dhaula Kuan, NH-8, IGI Airport and Dwarka. Out of these, five stations are underground and only the Dhaula Kuan station is elevated.
