Moving further towards resumption of services, the Airport Metro Express Corridor will undergo a two-day mandatory safety inspection by the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety (CMRS) next week.
The 23-km corridor connecting Connaught Place with Terminal 3 of Indira Gandhi International Airport was shut down temporarily this past July after cracks were found in the civil structure. The high-speed corridor underwent extensive repairs for the past six months.
“I have decided the dates for inspection. I will inspect the corridor on January 15 and 16,” CMRS R.K. Kardam told
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The inspection has been pending for a few weeks now as the Delhi Metro sent in a request asking the CMRS to inspect the line in November.
Sources said the CMRS had asked for some papers and more tests to be conducted before his inspection of the line. Once the line is cleared by Mr. Kardam, the operator, Reliance Infrastructure, will start services on the line within a couple of days.
The high-speed corridor, the first Public-Private Partnership project in the country, underwent extensive repairs on the girders and other civil structures after the operator complained of defects. Ever since, the Delhi Metro and Reliance Infra have been at loggerheads with the private operator even expressing its desire to quit the line.
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However, Urban Development Ministry stepped in and referred it for arbitration.
Once the line is open, commuters will be able to reach the airport from the city in 20 minutes.