Delhi Metro has initiated a significant enhancement in the operational speed of Metro trains on the Airport Express Line, now reaching an impressive 120 kmph, as confirmed by officials starting this Sunday.
According to authorities, the complete journey from the New Delhi station to the newly-constructed Yashobhoomi Dwarka Sector 25 station will now be completed in approximately 21 minutes.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself utilized this upgraded service, embarking on a metro ride to reach the new station at Dwarka Sector-25. The train he boarded achieved speeds of 120 kmph, symbolizing the official commencement of services with heightened speed on the Airport Express Line. In addition, the Prime Minister also inaugurated the first phase of YashoBhoomi, the India International Convention and Expo Centre (IICC) in Dwarka.
Previously, the travel time between New Delhi and Dwarka Sector 21 stations consumed around 22 minutes. However, this duration has now been reduced to approximately 19 minutes, marking a notable improvement.
Likewise, the estimated travel time between New Delhi and Terminal 3 of the Delhi Airport has also seen a reduction, with the journey now taking about 15 minutes and 30 seconds. Previously, it took slightly over 18 minutes for this commute, according to the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC).
This remarkable increase in train speed on India’s fastest metro corridor, progressing from 90 kmph to 120 kmph, is the result of meticulous planning and timely execution by DMRC’s engineers. Collaboration with numerous government agencies and domain experts played a pivotal role in achieving this historic speed upgrade, as stated by DMRC.
The extension of the Delhi Metro’s Airport Express Line from Dwarka Sector 21 to Yashobhoomi Dwarka Sector 25 commenced operation at 3 pm on September 17, as confirmed by officials.
It’s worth noting that Delhi Metro had initially elevated the operational speed of its trains on the Airport Express Line from 90 kmph to 100 kmph on March 22 earlier this year. This speed was subsequently raised to 110 kmph on June 22 and, as of this Sunday, now stands at 120 kmph. Importantly, the DMRC had already secured safety certification for this speed enhancement earlier this month.
(With PTI inputs)
