To give a fillip to commuter traffic on the Airport Express Line, concessionaire Reliance Infrastructure has sought better connectivity and improved feeder services for the Shivaji metro station, which also has a check-in facility for airport-bound commuters.
At a meeting with officials of the Union Urban Development Ministry on Monday, the concessionaire asked for assistance in streamlining the operations, including improving the feeder services. An official said efforts were also under way to resume the check-in facility, which remains suspended even after the line reopened to public on January 22.
The official said once the line picks up speed and reaches 80 kmph, the check-in facility will be offered to commuters again. At present the Airport Express Line runs at a speed of 75 kmph, up from the initial 50 kmph.
The speed will be increased to 80 kmph after another inspection of the line in the next few weeks.
To improve connectivity for the Shivaji metro station, assistance has been sought from the Delhi Transport Corporation and the Delhi Traffic Police. While the DTC has been asked to reroute some of the buses so that they pass the Shivaji metro station, the traffic police have been asked to help with traffic management and facilitation once the number of buses on the route goes up.
The DTC has been asked to provide additional bus queue stations and a plan is drawn up to increase the feeder services to the station, including providing the necessary permissions.
On whether the issue of compensation that the concessionaire has sought for the loss of revenue on account of shutting down the line for repairs, was discussed, the officials said the matter will be taken up at a separate meeting with the arbitrators.
The high-speed express, the first PPP metro, was shut down in July after faults were detected in the civil construction that were considered hazardous.
