India - Delhi Airport Metro to shut down indefinitely

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Delhi Airport Metro is to be shut down indefinitely due safety concerns on the elevated portion of its track.
So much for the swanky airport metro.

What a shame! It was such a nice, quick ride going to New Delhi rail station from DEL for about 80 rupees!

that's a shame....the metro was a big advantage for the new airport....

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Yes it really is. According to what I have read, the problem is with bearings between the pillars and rhe girders. It does't say what the nature of the problem is. Whether they are under-rated for the load, not installed properly, or are they the wrong kind. Did some one cut corners to divert funds? Unfortnately, you have to think of everything when something goes awry im India.

Construction of this line was shoddily done by Reliance to get it ready in time for Commonwealth Games. I'm not surprised it's falling apart now.

Bummer. I take it I'm resigned to a taxi or bus for an upcoming trip then?

Bummer. I take it I'm resigned to a taxi or bus for an upcoming trip then?

Yep. Or you could take an auto to Dwarka (sector 21) and hop on the metro from there..

Yep. Or you could take an auto to Dwarka (sector 21) and hop on the metro from there..
That would be the regular metro.
Auto drivers are not a good idea, never at night, for someone new to India or even Delhi, and never.
They are at par with striking AI pilots. More violent crimes, including robberies against foreigners are committed by auto drivers than taxi drivers.
IS there a prepaid auto service at the airport?
Building the airport express line was not a such great idea IMO. Fares announced initially fares were compatible what three people would pay on a taxi. I didn't think many Indians would consider paying that fare since you still have to get to NDLS from various parts of the city.
It's also not very attractive for business tourists as they have no need for an alternative that's cheaper than a private car or a taxi, but is a lot of hassle.
It's hardly convenient if you have luggage and going to some other place other than NDLS.
CP area, erstwhile CBD od Delhi is no longer the CBD
There are no hotels within walking distance, of NDLS except the seedy Paharaganj hotels that cater to backpackers.
Hotels, good by western standards within a short cab ride of NDLS are scarce too.
The fares are too high for the one group of travellers, who must commute to the airport regularly, the workers.
Travelling by public transport, is still considered "beneath" their status by many Indians.

They had to introduce lower "introductory" fares as ridership was low. The discounted fares continued.

Delhi metro is good and fast. But it's far from the best it could be. It would take extraordinarily long for someone to get to the airport unless they were very close to NDLS. For a vast majority, it just isn't practical with or without luggage. Every line needs an express train (extra track along every route) with limited stops so that people who are travelling over large distances can do so quickly without having to stop at every station. That would give enough feed to the airport express metro. Or if there were another system of suburban trains, feeding passengers to the airport express that would help too.

The young Indians travelling on business within India might take the metro in order to experience it as it is the pride of Delhi and a symbol, along with CWG, new expressways and airports, that India is catching up to the world. Is it? really? NOT. The same things are distressing about India that did twenty years ago, or 40 years ago. It's still as much a shock, if not more, to your sensibilities to see how an average Indian behaves on the metro as it was/is on crowded DTC buses 40 years ago. Not much has changed.

There is little sense that metro is a shared resource developped at great expense. I see little difference between an Indians standing at the back of the queue, pushing and shoving others ahead of them to get into the train, a young Indian fellow, running to the elevator to go down while an old lady might not get a chance to get in and the striking AI pilots.

Delhi metro is an experience nonthetheless. Delhi is better off with it.
Shutting down the airport express is not as big an inconvenience over all.
How is the walk to the entrance of the airport express from the point wheere you get dropped off by a cab or your car. I saw it before the express line opened up, it did not look good at all. Haven;t had the opportunity to use the express line on subsequent trips even tough the airport line was running.