Airport Express Line likely to be inaugurated this week in Delhi
Airport Express Line likely to be inaugurated this week in Delhi
It's no secret that travelling in Delhi during peak winters is a pain, even if you own a vehicle. The icy cold winds and the dense fog make for an unhealthy combination. Those headed to the airport, located in one corner of the city, have a particularly tough task at hand. So if you are a frequent flier, this should cheer you up. Delhi Metro's high-speed Airport Express Line is likely to become operational this week.
Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety (CMRS) RK Kardam finished his two-day inspection of the line on Saturday. Speaking to MiD DAY he said: "I have completed the corridor inspection. Final decision will be taken on Monday."
Sources in the government said, the CMRS is likely to okay the line on Monday, but with certain conditions. "There are certain things on which the operator, Reliance led consortium will have to work. Otherwise everything is fine on the Line," said a senior official who did not specify the shortcomings.
Official sources said, baggage check-in at Metro stations will not be started initially "The concessionaire is yet to ink the final deal with Air India," said a senior official.
Meanwhile fog wreaked havoc at Delhi airport on Saturday night and Sunday morning. Over one hundred flights at the airport got delayed by up to eight hours, seventeen domestic and international flights were cancelled and seven others were diverted to nearby airports due to dense fog in Delhi and other parts of northern India. "The cancellation and delay was not only because of dense fog conditions in Delhi. Similar conditions are prevailing in other parts of northern India including Amritsar and Chandigarh," said a senior airport official.
A railway official said 70 trains were delayed and nine cancelled during the day from various stations of Delhi.u00a0 Shallow fog started to descend on the airport on Saturday evening and started to become thicker by 8.30 pm. Visibility began to deteriorate and by 11.30 pm, it had dropped to less than 50 metres. Runway visibility came down to 150 metres when the fog became very dense.
The situation remained poor for the next three hours. During this period seven flights - five domestic, one international and one cargo - were diverted to Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Kolkata and Mumbai. Poor visibility and inclement weather forced Air India to reschedule three international flights. Air India flight (AI 101) to New York, scheduled to depart at 12.45 am, was rescheduled to 9.00 am, Delhi-Chicago from 01.30 am to 10.30 am and Delhi-Toronto from 01.45 am to 09.45 am.
Poor visibility led to implementation of Low Visibility Procedures (LVP) at 8.31 pm on the new runway and at 10.38 pm on the main runway. LVP was terminated at 8.35 am on the new runway and at 6.40 am on the main runway. A total of 151 flights operated using various categories of Instrument Landing System. 88 flights operated with CAT I ILS, 22 with CAT II, 33 with CAT III A and 8 with CAT III.u00a0
18 min
Expected time of commuting from New Delhi Railway Station to airport by the Express Line
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| Big chill |
| Icy winds on Sunday exposed Delhiites to the coldest day of this winter with maximum temperature sliding to the season's lowest of 11 degree Celsius. |
| Rocky road |
| January 9, 2011 |
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