Airport Metro to run at higher frequency

The frequency on the swanky 23-km Airport Metro Express Line (AMEL) will be increased during peak hours from Thursday, a Delhi Metro official said Tuesday.

"The frequency of the trains during peak hours is being revised to 10 minutes and 30 seconds from the existing 15 minutes from Thursday (Aug 1). During off peak hours, it will remain 15 minutes," Anuj Dayal, Delhi Metro's executive director for corporate communications, said.

The move means more train trips per day.

"Due to the change in the frequency, the daily train trips will increase to 180 from 146 at present," Dayal added.

For AMEL, the morning peak hours are from 7.30 a.m. to 12 noon and the evening peak hours are from 3 p.m. to 7.30 p.m.

The AMEL will also run at slightly higher speed.

"The operating speed of the trains on the AMEL will be increased to 80 kmph from the existing 70 kmph," Dayal said.

The line will also operate for longer hours.

"The first train service from both the terminal stations - Dwarka Sector 21 and New Delhi - will start at 4.45 a.m. instead of the present 5.30 a.m. at New Delhi and 5.15 a.m. at Dwarka Sector 21," the official said.

However, the last train will continue to depart from the New Delhi station at 11.30 p.m. and from Dwarka Sector 21 at 11.15 p.m.

"The early morning services of the AMEL will tremendously help the passengers who board trains like Shatabdi Express which depart from the New Delhi railway station early in the morning and reach back late in the night," the official said.

The changes in the frequency, timing and speed of AMEL were made based on the feedback from the commuters.

Delhi Metro took over AMEL July 1 after Reliance Infrastructure refused to run the service.

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) and Reliance-led Delhi Airport Metro Express Private Limited (DAMEPL) were at loggerheads after some serious defects surfaced in the Airport Metro corridor structure.

The Airport Metro ferries over 15,000 people daily. Some 70 percent of the travellers use the line to commute to and from the airport.