Skywalk planned to link NDLS with Metro station

New Delhi: In a bid to provide hassle-free walk between New Delhi Metro station and New Delhi Railway Station at the Ajmeri Gate side, the Delhi Metro is all set to construct a skywalk to connect them. The cost of the upcoming skywalk will be around Rs 9 crore. The DMRC (Delhi Metro Rail Corporation) has floated a tender in this regard recently.

The skywalk, enabled with escalators, will connect the railway station to the exits of the Delhi Metro station and Airport Metro Line. “At present, passengers are facing miserable traffic conditions while trying to enter the New Delhi station. For the convenience of passengers, travelators will be installed on the skywalk so that they can be transported between the two stations without walking,” said a DMRC official.

The DMRC will bear the entire cost of the skywalk. About 6 lakh passengers visit the New Delhi station daily.

“The upcoming skywalk will ease the pressure on our entry/exit points and provide us  more volume in terms of passengers,” said a DMRC official on the condition of anonymity.

Earlier, a skywalk was not the automatic choice to connect the railway station with the Metro station. The choice was reportedly between a skywalk and a tunnel, of which the former was shortlisted. It, however, has its own set of issues, one of them being the pillars. These will be constructed on the road and may impede traffic flow.

The Airport Metro Line originates at the New Delhi station, which is more than 200 metres away from the Ajmeri Gate end of the railway station.

The Airport Express is India’s only dedicated high speed Metro connection between the city and the airport. It is suited for the transportation of cargo since there is a separate coach for luggage and services are available all through the day from 5.15 am in the morning till 11.30 pm late in the night.