No 24x7 services on Airport Metro Link

The Delhi Metro is not going to operate overnight trains on its Airport Line — a proposal that was floated last year — DMRC chief Mangu Singh said on Sunday.

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) had conducted a survey last year to assess the feasibility of running trains beyond midnight, which was primarily aimed to serve passengers going abroad.

“We do not plan to operate overnight trains at this point. In any case, we get only a few hours at night now for maintenance and related works,” said Mr Singh when asked about the status of the plan.

At present, trains operate between 4.45 am and 11.40 pm on the 23-kmlong corridor, also known as the Orange Line. The Delhi Metro had been toying with the idea since 2008 but Mr Singh’s words suggest that the plan has been shelved, at least for the time being.

Worldwide, late night Metro services are available in a few cities. It is still a rarity and there have been protests against the move by workers in London, where late night tube services were launched only last year. Last December in Washington, concerned authorities had decided to suspend late night subway services for a period of two years. Select lines of the New York subway system provide overnight services.

The Airport Line stretches between the New Delhi Metro station and Dwarka Sector 21. The DMRC has recently invited bids for its extension till Dwarka Sector 25, where an international convention centre is being constructed.

The high-speed corridor had struggled to attract commuters at one point. Trains run every 10 minutes between 8 am and 8.30 pm and it takes around 20 minutes to reach the IGI (Indira Gandhi International) Airport from the New Delhi station on this line. The DMRC took over the operations of the airport link in July 2013.