(Pics) Delhi Metro’s Terminal 1 Airport Station Gets Ready for Launch
While an announcement on the completion of train testing on Delhi Metro Magenta Line’s pending 25.59 km portion (Janakpuri West – Hauz Khas – Kalkaji Mandir) is awaited, here’s a look inside the brand new ‘Terminal 1 – IGI Airport’ metro station which is expected to become one of the busiest stations on the 38.23 km line.
At 312.20m, this is one of the longest underground stations on the entire network, and consists of 5 entry/exit structures and 2 subways which will be equipped with travelators – one connecting to Terminal 1C (domestic arrivals), and the other connecting to Terminal 1D (domestic departures). To reach Terminal 3, users will have to take a shuttle bus from here until the proposed 5.5 km airport metro (airtrain) system is built.
The 16m deep station was built by ITD-ITD Cem JV as part of package CC-32 (Palam – Shankar Vihar) of the 162 km Phase 3 project, and the final TBM breakthrough for this section was achieved in June 2015 by TBM S616 which is now stationed in Kolkata for its next assignment.
Western section of Delhi’s Magenta Line – view Delhi Metro Phase 3 map & info
DMRC expects this station to receive 66,000 riders. While its box structure is similar to other underground stations built in Phase 2 and Phase 3, the DMRC has pushed the envelope in its interior design by using architectural elements such as stainless steel, granite and ceramic tiles.
Here are some images –
Concourse level – Photo Copyright: Burhaan Kinu (HT) via Getty
Platform level – Photo Copyright: Burhaan Kinu (HT) via Getty
Photo Copyright: Burhaan Kinu (HT) via Getty
Photo Copyright: Burhaan Kinu (HT) via Getty
1 of the 5 entrances – Photo Copyright: Burhaan Kinu (HT) via Getty
Another entrance – Photo Copyright: Burhaan Kinu (HT) via Getty
For more updates, check out the Delhi section of The Metro Rail Guy!
– TMRG
When will it open?
As I explained in the very 1st line, train testing is still ongoing. I can’t tell/predict when it will open and neither can the DMRC do that.
Opening timeframe at this stage depends on –
1) Completion of testing
2) Completion of CMRS inspection
3) Availability of local/national ministers
That 3rd point is the most annoying part and completely unnecessary. The magenta line kalkaji – botanical section already got delayed by a month because of this.
phase 3 testing is taking months in testing. i think we need technology that is quick to adopt, test and run.
Modi will inaugurate…
TMRG, you are awesome. The last line “3) Availability of local/national ministers” is spot on. Lol.
Ha Ha Haaaaa.
I walked past the Vasant Vihar station (opposite Basant Lok Market) and it seems completely ready on the outside; only landscaping work left. Anybody know the situation underground? I hope they make a parking lot there, because I am going to be using it everyday.
Dear TMRG,
Although I have seen the news of trail started between Airport to Janakpuri segment of magenta line. But not seen or read any news regarding trial between Airport to Kalkaji.
Can you tell any thing concrete other than an impractical looking statement of DMRC that Kalkaji to Janakpuri will open in March, 2018.
Please tell about any concrete facts about trail between airport to kalkaji.
Regards
Praveen Gupta
I have been wondering that too.
I don’t have any meaningful numbers or dates to share. Train testing is ongoing and interior finishing works are underway at all stations between IGI – Kalkaji. March 2018 opening is impossible. Give it another couple months.
Panchsheel Park and stations beyond IGI T1 towards Janakpuri West are ready.TVMs and TOMs are being installed.But others are lagging behind in progress…especially Nehru Enclave and Hauz khas (they are constructing new gate and renovating 2 others since Dec end) So Magenta Line can open fully by mid May to mid June (As per officials)
By March End Trials On Magenta Line (08) Will Be Completed And By April End Inaugural Can Be Done!
Dear Ashu,
Are u aware of all developments? From your reply still it is not clear whether trial between kalkaji & airport is going on or not. If you know about it please tell us more detail about it.
Thanks
Impossible…..New gates and finishing works are being done at some stations….Civil Works can only end by mid May and inaguration by June
I’m sorry for I can’t help rolling over laughing cause shortly all the domestic airlines are gonna be shooed away to terminal 2. (Guess only indigo is remaining still) so who is the intended target audience?
Remaining airlines’ passengers and nearby residents of Mehram Nagar will then be the target audience. GMR drifted away from their own 2026 masterplan (T2 was to be demolished for building a new T4), so the DMRC isn’t at fault here.
Are you sure TMRG? Because I think the master plan is still as it is. T1 will be upgraded with a single terminal for arrival and departure, T2 will be demloished and T4 will be made for indian carriers operations and T3 will also be upgraded and will be used only by foreign airline. Thats what I heard. Can you share the source where you got the info of GMR changing their plan.
This is the original 2026 masterplan revealed in the year 2006 by DIAL/GMR –
https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4716/39082621285_466acabb6e_o.jpg
T1 was to be demolished and replaced by a new cargo hub. T2 was to demolished and replaced by T4. Additional T5/T6 terminals were to be built.
Plans change as per requirements – absolutely nothing wrong with that, but for GMR/DIAL to say that T1’s upgrade is “in line with the master plan” is absolutely wrong and misleading.
https://m.newdelhiairport.in/gmr-led-dial-set-for-delhi-airports-expansion-in-line-with-master-plan.aspx
Well I was not talking about the 2006 master plan. I was talking about the one which got approved last year. I know its not in line with the 2006 master plan but isn’t that a good thing, I mean who wants T1 to be made a cargo terminal. The second plan of last year is definitely promising. A new T1 will surely increase airport capacity and will be a boom for domestic passengers.
The current setup of T1 and T2-T3 on opposite sides of the airport is a major design flaw that affects user experience. Ideally you’d want terminals in close proximity to each other so that passengers can easily transfer without having to worry about road traffic, transfer times and shuttle reliability. On aviation discussion forums, most questions on BOM & DEL unfortunately revolve around transfers.
Following the original masterplan would have corrected this flaw, but instead they’ve revived T2 and pumped in more money into T1. Sure it’ll add capacity and the design renders look nice, but it doesn’t quite solve the bigger problem.
By the way, this comment thread has reached its end. If you want to reply, just post a new comment 🙂
What I have come to learn is that all domestic flights (for now with destinations to metro cities) will henceforth use T2. Even the errant indigo has been put into line by the courts and they will comply soon.
After rewamping T1 it’s going to be an exclusive haj terminal (Max use only during ramzan). The residents of nearby area will only be the sole beneficiaries if they have the last mile connectivity sorted out as this area is quite secluded and means like e-rickshaws or buses aren’t as plenty as elsewhere. Don’t forget the fact that jewar airport approvals are also gathering pace which will share the load of NCR air traffic (when operational by estimated 5 years) thereby making the return of airlines to T1 a real big doubt.
Point by point answers to your post
1. As I have already told in my reply below, the flights to be shifted to T2 are all flights of Go Air, and Mumbai/Kolkata/Bangalore bound flights of Spicejet and Indigo. Refer this link https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/transportation/airlines-/-aviation/delhi-high-court-upholds-dial-order-on-indigo-spicejet-shifting-operations-to-t-2/articleshow/62897779.cms. Read the third last para. It clearly says flights to mumbai, bangalore and kolkata and not flight to all metros.
2. T1 will NOT be made a haj terminal. Do you think they are spending crores of money to make terminal to be used for only a month. T1 will be made for all domestic LCCs (Indigo,spicejet,goair). T4 will be made for all FSC (air india, jet, vistara, air asia) and T3 will be used for only international airlines. Refer these videos and link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4Ms1ls7nTA
http://www.financialexpress.com/photos/business-gallery/820863/delhi-igi-airport-new-t1-t2-t3-t4-indira-gandhi-international-airport-makeover-images/10/
3. Jevar airport’s land is yet to be acquires and construction will begin after that. Delhi airport expansion will be completed before jewar one’s becomes fully operational. Also, Jewar airport is being built on the fact that delhi airport will become saturated by 2024. However, if the proposed expansion is done in time, delhi airport will be able to handle the capacity in the future also. It can also expand further as it has plenty of land available. Also, Jewar airport is being built for the people of east UP and not for the people of delhi as it is far away and delhi airport is still in close proximity. However, yes it will reduce the load on delhi airport and that is also good. No big city can survive on only one airport.
The flights being shifted to T2 are – All flights of Go Air, and Mumbai/Kolkata/Bangalore bound flights of Spicejet and Indigo. If what they say about the overcrowding of T1 is true then I think T1D and T1C will still cater to significant passengers. Moreover dont forget that all these flights going to T2 will return after few years after the new consolidated T1 opens. It will be much larger and will cater to even more flights than now as the passenger count would have also increased by that time. Delhi airport is scaling new heights everyday. It just crossed 60 million annual passengers and joined the club of top 20 busiest airports in the world (7th in Asia). It is southeast asia biggest aviation hub. The metro station will surely benefit from it in the future. So will the passengers.
Exactly, the redeveloped T1 has a designed capacity of 40 million annual passengers.
Ya trials run has started as per tmrg stated earlier
Our house is in between IGI and Kalkaji Mandir. Trials are on since Jan. Trains have been seen as late as past midnight.
But the station is not ready from inside. Just Last week I saw that only the platform screen doors are installed for testing but the screen is yet to be completely installed.
I don’t think that they will be ready for safety inspection in March.
May-June seems to be a feasible month for inauguration.
They must be concentrating on rectifying the observation of pink line safety inspection and it’s final inauguration. Maybe thereafter they concentrate here.
But didn’t TMRG say in another question that they will inaugurate Janakpuri IGI first.
Let’s hope they do it fast
Thanks for the ground update – specifically which station did you visit?
Back in Oct-Nov, DMRC rejigged their plan and now propose to open up the pending section in one go.
Pardon me but I don’t want to specify the station , but even if one isn’t ready the inspectio will be delayed 🙂
Thanks for the other update.
But why are you hiding station’s name.
Is it so confidential info.
Hauz khas station I have seen. It is still incomplete.
What is the route to reach Terminal 1 if one is commuting on pink line from Azadpur ?
Assuming the Majlis Park – South Campus section is up and running, the best route seems to be Azadpur – Rajouri Garden (Pink Line), Rajouri Garden – Janakpuri(W) (Blue Line); Janakpuri (W) – IGI Airport T1 (Magenta Line). This also assumes that the Magenta line section is commissioned. It’ll involve 2 interchanges, so don’t carry too much luggage 🙂
Is there not an interchange between Orange and Magenta.
Additionally, are they going to build a local tram to transfer between T1 and T3 at IGI?
hyperloop
No, In DMRC phase 4 the line (Aerocity to tughlakabad) would be extended to the IGD airport station so that there by changing from magenta line to aerocity to tughlakabad line and changing to orange line would connect T1 to T3. Well for now shuttles connect aerocity metro station to T1.There will be no tram .
Delhi govt. is not keen on tughlakabad- airport line. so it can be scrapped as finance department has rejected this line. Now transfer from T1 to T3 will remain a problem.
TMRG, the problem of changing terminals within the airport itself can be solved easily. Many airports around the world, such as Doha, Newark, Chicago, London, etc. have a transit system (kinda like a monorail or so) that have airport terminals as their stations and have a line round the airport. So the same thing can be done for Delhi Airport too. A monorail line would pass through all the terminals. Passengers travelling by magenta line would use the monorail from T1 and get down at T2. Or if they are travelling be their private cars then they can get down at T2 itself. Let’s see if GMR/DIAL can think about the feasibility of such a recommendation.
I usually commute thru outer ring road,I think that DMRC is in direction to open train till T-1 first, then extension will be dun upto kalkaji as major work is pending on airport-kalkaji section as contractor left the project on same section and regenerating has been done.
Do you know if they are going to have parking at Shankar Vihar station ? Or a list of station which going to have parking spaces?
Look at the fourth image. They are still using the old type AFC gates. Please get some new design AFC gates like Lucknow metro.
Wikipedia again updated magenta’s line completion by march.
What had they changed it to earlier
June 2018 which seems to be correct as per today’s position of magenta line.
Dmrc says magenta line will open in april
Where does DMRC say so ?
Read dmrc phase 3 update
Hello TMRG,
Will this affect the fortunes of Airport express metro train ?
Yesterday I spoke with the guard at one of the station. He said that the line is scheduled to open in June
When commuters can go from Hai Khas to Noida.
When commuters can travel from Hauz Khas to Noida
Latest update… Yesterday a DMRC team was there at the station. They said that the section will be inaugurated on 01 May ☺
Muh meetha kara du bhai tera , i am desperately waiting for this line to be operational.
I don’t think it may open on 1st may. I regularly pass through stations. Outside finishing work is very slow.
Work completed in this section in news article hindustan times will be open for public in April
When will they be ready for CMRS inspection ? That will decide the further steps. ☺
That’s true. It will only give clear idea of opening of line. Since before sending file to CMRS date always keeps on pushing
Dear TMRG,
Why you stopped giving current photographs of inside look of current status. DMRC also stopped. No idea what is happening outside.
Is any fresh update ?
Now every body is keeping mum. DMRC is also not giving update in media. Mr. TMRG is also seems to be busy somewhere elae. DMRC gave wide coverage in media in first week janakpuri kalkaji will definately start in April. Now 19th gone. Even file for inspection not yet sent. I dont think it will start before end of MAY.
They must be waiting for approval from politicians. There has to be some ceremony for inauguration, convenience of commuters is not important thing. Same happened when magenta line first section was ready in October but inauguration happened in end of December.
True
According to ht article request for cmrs has been sent by dmrc .
It is doubtful as no other news paper is telling that.
It means wait till official press release by dmrc