New Airport Terminal Will Give Major Ridership Push To Nagpur Metro’s Quietest Station

Nagpur: The GMR-led international airport modernisation project is expected to provide a major boost to MahaMetro's New Airport Metro Station, currently among the least-utilised stations on the network despite its advanced infrastructure.Officials said passenger traffic at the station is likely to rise sharply after the airport upgrade because of its strategic location and proposed integration with the upcoming terminal."MahaMetro will work closely with airport developers and consultants from the planning stage to ensure seamless connectivity with both the existing and proposed terminals," MahaMetro managing director Shravan Hardikar told TOI."Discussions will cover infrastructure integration, feeder services, and commuter amenities to deliver a world-class travel experience," he said.At present, daily footfall at the New Airport Metro Station remains limited to a few hundred commuters, largely from the Chinchbhavan area. The existing Airport Metro Station near Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport also records modest ridership.A senior MahaMetro official said the New Airport Metro Station was designed with future airport expansion in mind. The Metro alignment near the station curves towards the proposed terminal side before merging with Wardha Road, allowing easier integration with the expanded airport infrastructure.Nagpur is among the few cities in the country with three Metro stations serving the airport corridor — Airport Station, South Airport Station and New Airport Station. With the new terminal expected to come up behind the existing airport complex, officials believe the New Airport Station could eventually evolve into a key transit hub.MahaMetro currently records an average daily ridership of nearly one lakh passengers across its network. Officials expect airport-linked stations to witness significant growth once the expanded terminal becomes operational and handles higher passenger traffic and flight movement.