Delhi Metro increases speed to 120kmph on Airport Line. Know how long will it take to reach Delhi airport

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Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) is going to operate the Airport Express Line at a massive speed of 120 kilometres per hour (KMPH). “This historic increase in speed of India’s fastest Metro corridor gradually from 90 KMPH to 120 KMPH has been made possible by meticulous planning and time-bound implementation by DMRC’s engineers in consultation with a number of other government agencies and domain experts," DMRC said in a statement. To facilitate the movement of the trains at such a high speed, over 2.6 lakh tension clamps were replaced on the entire corridor.

The bulk of the work was carried out in the night time from 11 PM till 7 AM to ensure minimal hindrance to the smooth operation of services. Over 100 workers were deployed at a time for this work. Before taking up this mammoth exercise, the efficacy of these clamps was checked on a kilometre-long trial track.

Various measurements including vibration & stresses on rails were carried out using advanced instruments on this trial track before implementing the same on the main corridor. The estimated timeline for the completion of this task was 18 months. However, DMRC took the challenge and successfully ensured the completion of the work within just six months.

A highly advanced system consisting of 3D accelerometers and strain censors was deployed for continuous measurement of vibrations and strains on the tracks at different speed levels. Oscillation monitoring was performed at speeds from 90 KMPH to 120 KMPH to ascertain smooth movement at higher speed levels. Tremendous efforts were put in by DMRC officials to analyse the measurement data at various speeds to understand the behaviour and response of the system.