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News Topical, Digital Desk : Delhi's Airport Express Metro line, considered one of the most reliable and fastest, lost its speed on Sunday. The line, which provides a quick connection from New Delhi to the airport, ran at a slow speed throughout the day due to a technical glitch, disrupting the journey of thousands of commuters.
Where did the problem start?
Operations on the Airport Express Line, which runs between Yashobhoomi and New Delhi, were affected due to the theft of a cable connected to the signaling system. This is the same corridor where the metro normally runs at speeds of 120 kilometers per hour. Normally, the journey from New Delhi to IGI Airport Terminal-3 on the Airport Express takes approximately 18 minutes, but trains, which run every ten minutes, arrived much later than scheduled on Sunday.
Speed reduced due to safety concerns
DMRC stated that, for passenger safety, the metro was operating at a very slow speed on the up line between Dhaula Kuan and Shivaji Stadium. The speed of trains was limited to approximately 25 kilometers per hour on this section.
The entire line was not closed
Although metro services remained normal between Shivaji Stadium and New Delhi and Yashobhoomi to Dhaula Kuan, speed fluctuations along the entire corridor resulted in passengers experiencing additional travel time. Delay information was also regularly displayed within the metro and at stations.
Increased crowd on holiday, increased trouble
Since it was a Sunday, the number of metro passengers was high. Slow trains and long waits on platforms added to the inconvenience. Many passengers were seen waiting for their trains to arrive. However, as of this morning, metro services on the Airport Line have resumed normal frequency.
Why are metro operations disrupted repeatedly?
Cable theft incidents along the Metro corridor are becoming a growing challenge. Over 40 cases of copper cable theft have been reported in the past year. FIRs were filed in 38 cases in 2023 and 43 cases in 2025. A total of 89 cable thefts were reported between June 2024 and March 13, 2025. Of these, 35 cases involved traction cables and 32 involved signal cables.
Why one theft stops the entire speed
According to experts, signal and traction cables are crucial to metro operations. Any tampering with these cables requires train speeds to be limited due to safety concerns. This is why a single theft can impact the speed of the entire network.
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