DMRC chief Sreedharan not impressed with Delhi Metro Airport Express line

DMRC chief E. Sreedharan felt so bitter after a surprise inspection of the Airport Express line on Tuesday that he decided to make his views public.

Here’s what he didn’t like: He wants the speed of the trains increased to 120kmph from the present 105kmph He was disappointed with the present frequency of the trains moving 20 minutes apart and wants the frequency of the trains increased He was dissatisfied with passenger amenities at the stations.

The Airport Express line does not have any tea or coffee vending machines. Sreedharan felt the stations must have refreshment kiosks Lack of proper signages and mobile connectivity in the underground sections Announcements made inside the trains and at stations were not adequate and, often, inaccurate Sreedharan boarded a train at New Delhi at 9am and travelled up to Dwarka Sector 21. He got down at all the operational stations on the line and personally inspected the amenities.

“ There should be seamless platform to platform connectivity for commuters moving from the Delhi Metro network to the airport link and vice- versa at the Dwarka Sector- 21 station,” he said in a statement later.

The airport line is run by Reliance Infra-owned Delhi Airport Metro Express Private Limited (DAMEPL). DMRC supervises the running of the line. Sreedharan had earlier also criticised DAMEPL when it failed to start the project on time. The airport link is the first project where the Delhi Metro has gone for a public- private partnership.

Metro’s statement following Sreedharan’s visit, however, has some positive remarks about the airport line. “ He appreciated the efforts of the staff in keeping the system neat and clean. He said the corridor was one of the most technologically advanced in the world and was at par or even better than most other airport Metro links in the other cities globally,” the statement said.

DAMEPL officials, when questioned about Sreedharan’s dissatisfaction, defended themselves and said measures were being taken to address the problems.