In a first, Delhi Metro will ferry cargo on its premium Airport Express line that connects Indira Gandhi International Airport to New Delhi Railway Station on an experimental basis from March 1 for three months.

“From March 1 onwards, cargo services for the transportation of non-perishable/e-commerce items will be facilitated through the Airport Express line. DMRC has signed a Memorandum of Under-standing with a specialised cargo agency for the purpose. The agency will utilise the Airport Express line for transporting cargo between New Delhi and IGI Airport Metro stations on a trial basis for three months,” said DMRC in a statement.

This would be the first time a Metro system in India would be used for the transportation of cargo.

“These trials would help in accessing the cargo volumes that could be potentially be generated on this route on both directions, especially e-commerce cargo. Based on the experience, a tender for a long term arrangement shall be floated,” said metro officials, adding that the initiative will also reduce the consumption of fossil fuels, CO2 emission and improve the air quality as less number of cargo vehicles will ply on the roads as a result.

It will also be possible to transport cargo faster to and from the airport since a journey by road to the airport would take much longer time.

“The Airport Express line trains have dedicated coaches for luggage which is separate from the passenger coaches. Therefore the introduction of the cargo services will not cause any inconvenience to the general commuters at all. It is suited for the transportation of cargo the services are available all through the day from 5.15 am till 11.30 pm,” officials added.

The Airport Express is India’s only dedicated high speed Metro connection between the city and the airport.