NEW DELHI: Metro passengers will now be able to reach
IGI Airport from the New Delhi station in just 15 minutes and 30 seconds.
From Sunday, the operational speed of trains on Airport Express Line is set to increase to 120kmph, which will make it the fastest metro corridor in the country. At present, it takes 19 minutes to travel between the airport and the New Delhi station.
"This historic increase in speed of India's fastest metro corridor, gradually from 90 kmph to 120 kmph, has been made possible by meticulous planning and time-bound implementation by Delhi Metro Rail Corporation's engineers in consultation with a number of other government agencies and domain experts," said Anuj Dayal, principal executive director, corporate communications, DMRC.
To facilitate the movement of the trains at such a high speed, over 2.6 lakh tension clamps were replaced on the entire corridor. The bulk of the work was carried out during the night time to ensure minimal hindrance to the smooth operation of services. Over 100 workers were deployed at a time for this work.
"The estimated time for the completion of this task was 18 months. However, DMRC completed the work within just six months," said Dayal.
According to DMRC, various measurements, including vibration and stresses on rails, were carried out using advanced instruments on a trial track before implementing the same on the main corridor. The signalling infrastructure also required verification of all software and safety certifications of the main system and the subsystems at such high speed.
"Extensive testing of all signalling equipment was done in a graded manner involving track, rolling stock, traction for over two months," Dayal added.