The Airport Express Line will now be operational by October-end. It is the first line that could not get clearance by the Commissioner Metro Rail Safety.
Delhi Metro chief E. Sreedharan expressed hope on Sunday that the 22-km high-speed corridor will get the safety certificate and will be opened for the public soon.
The Airport Express Line, being built under a Public Private Partnership, could not get clearance due to signalling problem and non-conduct of speed trials.
This is the first time a Metro line in the country failed to get the safety clearance in the first inspection. The line was scheduled to open before the Games.
Talking to the reporters, Mr Sreedharan said, “The line is complete. It has not been able to get the safety certificate. We hope to get it very shortly”.
He said the Delhi Metro does not have control over the Airport Line as the entire operation will be managed by the Reliance-led consortium.
“Airport Line is not in the control of DMRC which has done only the civil work. All the systems like tracks, electrification, signalling, rolling stock and air-conditioning are being done by Reliance Infrastructure Limited,” he said. It is the first Metro line in the country to be implemented on Public-Private-Partnership basis with DMRC having done the civil work and the remaining work is to be done by the concessionaire.
The line promises to take passengers to airport in just 18 minutes.