Continued delays in the opening of the Delhi Airport Express metro service (otherwise known as the IGI line after Indira Ghandi International airport, or Orange Line) resulted in a fine on the developer early last month. The ‘last straw’ appeared to be failure to obtain mandatory safety clearances from the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety before the line could be allowed to operate.
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) as client ordered penalties amounting to Rs11.25 crore (USD2.53M) on the developer and contractor for the PPP scheme, Delhi Airport Metro Express Pvt Ltd (DAMEPL), a subsidiary of Reliance Infrastructure. DAMEPL had been awarded a 30-year concession to operate the line once completed, although DMRC is paying for half the construction costs and is responsible for the tunnelling and other civils works. There was provision for penalties for ‘failure to deliver on time’ under the concession contract. The dispute between DMRC and DAMEPL has become increasingly heated with accusation and counter-accusation.
The Airport Express was another item of Delhi infrastructure not completed in time for the Commonwealth Games held in October, but the delays were somewhat overshadowed by the more publicised problems with direct preparations for the Games. Although the original scheduled opening date was 31 July, and postponed at least twice until September, it is now believed that the service should begin this month, if safety tests can be passed.
The estimated value of the project is Rp 2885 crore (USD654.9M). The 24.2km line goes from Connaught Place, New Delhi to the airport with 15.7km of the route underground. There is a planned extension past the airport to Dwarka Sector 21 and possible connection to the existing Blue Line and Indian Railways route to the South-East and Rewari. Airport Metro Express trains will travel at 135 km/h instead of the 80km/h adopted for the rest of the metro network.
Although different in concept from the rest of the Delhi Metro network, the airport express link is part of Phase II of the overall scheme. A further two phases are planned for overall completion in 2020. Currently the network serves Delhi, Gurgaon and Noida with six lines of 156km total length. This includes 132 stations of which 31 are underground. The railways are in both broad and standard gauge.
