Delhi Airport Metro to undergo safety test on January 15, 16

New Delhi: Moving a step towards resumption of services, Delhi's showcase 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 the city's business centre of Connaught Place with the Terminal-3 of the Indira Gandhi International Airport was shut down temporarily in July last year after cracks were found in the civil structure.

After undergoing extensive repairs for the past six months, the high-speed corridor is now ready for inspection by the CMRS whose green signal is necessary for resumption of services. CMRS RK Kardam said he would carry out the inspection for two days beginning Tuesday next.

"I have decided the dates for inspection. I will inspect the corridor on January 15 and 16," Kardam said. 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.

The 23-km corridor connecting the city\'s business centre of Connaught Place with the Terminal-3 of the IGI Airport was shut down temporarily in July 2011.

Sources said the CMRS had asked for some papers and more tests to be conducted before he inspects the line. Since all procedures have been completed now, he will inspect the corridor next week.

Once the Line is cleared by Kardam, the operator Reliance Infrastructure would 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 repair on girders and other civil structure 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. However, Urban Development Ministry, the nodal ministry, stepped in and referred it for arbitration. Once the Line is open, commuters can reach the airport from the city in 20 minutes.

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