Delhi Metro to start CP to IGI link

New Delhi: The Capital will join a select few cities in the world to have a high-speed link to the airport with Delhi Metro's most sensitive line likely to start commercial operations from Wednesday, finally bringing the IGI airport closer to the city.

If all goes well and CISF completes its deployment process by tomorrow, the 23-km Airport Metro Express that connects the city's shopping hub of Connaught Place with the new swanky Terminal-3 of the Indira Gandhi International Airport will be opened to the public on Wednesday.

However, a formal inauguration of the high-speed link, the first Metro corridor in the country to come up on the Public-Private-Partnership mode, is likely to take place later with sources indicating that high-profile dignitaries will be invited for the function.

Both Delhi Airport Metro Express Private Limited (DAMEPL)-- the Reliance Infra-led consortium that will run the corridor-- and Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) said they are hopeful that the Line will be begin operations on Wednesday with four operational stations - New Delhi, Shivaji Stadium, IGI Airport and Dwarka Sec-21.

"We are hopeful that the Line will be operational from February 23. The CISF deployment is likely to be over anytime now. So in all probability the commercial operations will begin on Wednesday," a DMRC source said.

Other two stations -- Dhaula Kuan and Delhi Aero City -- are expected to be ready by the time the formal inauguration takes place, the sources said.

With this, Delhi will join world cities like London, Hong Kong, Seoul and Kuala Lumpur to have a high-speed link connecting the city with the International Airport.

The Delhi Airport Line was completed in a record 27 months' time. Sources in the CISF said the deployment of its forces on the high-speed corridor has been fast-tracked and it is likely to be over in a day or two.

"We usually take two to three weeks to complete our deployment. So, it should be over in a day or two," the sources said.

When the commercial operations start on Wednesday, passengers will not be able to check-in their baggage at the stations as talks with Air India and other private airlines are still on.

Sources said the facility will be available by the time the formal inauguration takes place, possibly in March.