DMRC finalises consultants for airport-station line

Days after the group of ministers (GoM) cleared the 19.5 km long metro line connecting Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport to New Delhi railway station via Moti Bagh and Rajiv Chowk, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (DMRC) today finalised the consultants for it.

The DMRC has signed an agreement with a consortium consisting of Pacific Consultants International (Japan), Parsons Brinckerhoff International Inc (USA), Japan Railway Technical Service, Tonichi Engineering Consultants Inc (both Japan) and Rites Ltd (India), for providing general consultancy for the new high speed route.

The new route, though cleared by the GoM, was under some cloud as the Planning Commission had raised doubts about the prospects of this line finishing before the Commonwealth Games of 2010, to be held in Delhi.

In fact even the Delhi government had raised similar doubts, hinting that it was already tied up with the preparations for the Games.

However with Centre's clearance, and the preliminary work having already started on it, the project seems to be well on its way.

The high speed route would cover the 19.5 km distance between IGI airport and New Delhi railway station in 16 minutes, with trains running at a maximum speed of 135 km per hour. The line would come under phase II of the metro project and would cost Rs 3,294 crore.