Title - More trips on IGI link from August 1

NEW DELHI: Almost a month after taking over the Delhi Airport Metro Express corridor, DMRC is looking to provide better services on the line. From August 1, trains on the Airport link will run at shorter intervals and move faster earlier in the day. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation announced on Tuesday that the train service from both the terminal stations of the Airport link—New Delhi and Sector 21 of Dwarka--will start at 4.45am instead of 5.30am and 5.15am at the two respective stations. The timings for the last train will not change; trains will leave from the New Delhi station at 11.30pm and from Dwarka, Sector 21, at 11.15pm.

"The change in schedule will be a great help to Shatabdi passengers, who depart early in the morning and return late in the night," said DMRC spokesman Anuj Dayal. The Shatabdi passengers coming from the airport or nearby areas will be able to board a Metro from the Airport link early morning and get to the railway station. "All Shatabdi trains arrive in New Delhi latest by 11.05pm. The Airport Express services will be available for 15 more minutes—up to 11.45pm—at the most, in case of delays," Dayal added.

The frequency will be increased during peak hours—10 minutes and 30 seconds instead of 15 minutes. In the remaining hours, trains will operate every 15 minutes. The daily trips will increase to 180 from 146. The morning peak hours are from 7.30am to noon, while the evening peak hours are from 3pm to 7.30pm. The peak hours are in sync with timings of flight arrival and departure at Terminal 3.

The operating speed on the Airport line will also be increased to 80kmph from 70kmph. "The changes have been made after taking feedback from commuters. After taking over the operations of the line from the July 1, DMRC sought feedback to improve the quality of the services," Dayal said.