Delhi Metro's Tughalakabad-Aerocity, Silver Line Likely To Be Extended to Terminal-1

The metro connectivity to the Delhi airport may get a big boost, with the under-construction Silver Line from Tughalakabad to Aerocity, likely to be extended to Terminal 1. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has sent a detailed project report for the extension of this line to the government for approval.

“A detailed project report (for line extension to T1) has been sent (to authorities) and government approval is awaited,” reports Times of India quoting a Delhi Metro spokesperson.

Under Phase-IV expansion work, the Delhi Metro is constructing 23.62-km-long Silver Line between Tughalakabad and Aerocity. The Silver Line will connect the operational Violet and Airport Lines from their respective ends.

The Aerocity-Tughlakabad corridor will have 15 stations — four elevated and 11 underground and is supposed to be ready by 2025. The corridor will also have four interchange stations at Aerocity, Chattarpur, Saket and Tughlakabad — making it one of the most vital corridors of the DMRC network.

As of now, the Delhi airport is connected through two metro lines. The 34.2-km Magenta Line which connects Botanical Garden Noida and Janakpuri West stations has a stop at Terminal 1 of Indira Gandhi International Airport.

Similarly, the Airport Express Line from New Delhi to Yashobhoomi Dwarka Sector-25 provides metro connectivity to the airport, with stations at Aerocity and Terminal 3.

The Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) which is a GMR Airports Infrastructure Ltd-led consortium and operates the Delhi airport, is currently working on a new integrated Terminal 1. The capacity at the new terminal is anticipated to rise from the current 1.7 crore passengers annually (CPA) to 4.5 CPA within the next two months, thereby, necessitating improved metro connectivity.

The move to expand the Silver line to T1 has been requested by the DIAL and considering tripling of T1's capacity, it is likely that the proposed enhancements will be approved by the government.