In the return leg of our (my wife and me) recent journey from USA which is home to our grandsons and their parents, we decided to take a train from New Delhi to Lucknow. The decision was naturally prompted by serious mismatch in baggage allowances on international and domestic flights. The decision called for yet another decision that is how to reach New Delhi railway station from New Delhi airport. Though taxi was the obvious choice, we deliberately chose to take the Delhi Airport Metro Express (DAME.) The choice was prompted as much by consideration of a short transit time as the desire to experience the service.
DAME station at terminal 3 of the New Delhi International Airport is diagonally across the road as you exit from the arrival lounge. You go in and take a lift to the floor below and exit to the other side. Of course you can take your luggage cart from the airport all the way up to this place where it has to be scanned by security personnel. No help is available so be prepared to load your luggage on the scanner and to lift it off on the other side. Carts are available on the other side.
Once you have cleared the security you walk forward towards the turnstiles. The ticket counter is on the left. Tickets from Terminal 3 to New Delhi railway station costs Rs.150/= per person. You get a printed receipt and small round tokens, one per person. The token is used for operating the turnstiles while entering and surrendered at the exit by placing it in a slot on the turnstile. If you want help you have to say so at the counter and you will be issued another ticket for Rs.50/=. They will call a person who will push the cart and load your luggage on the train.
Once on the platform you will find the rail tracks hidden behind a wall of a series of sliding gates. When the train arrives, the gates on each compartment align with these gates and both open together to let you board / alight. There are four racks, one on either side of the two opposite gates of the train compartment. The compartments are clean and air-conditioned. Though a lone pesky mosquito kept attacking me in particular. The whole long compartment had less than half a dozen passengers so the space on the racks was quite adequate.
Though I didn't exactly time it, the train perhaps took around 20 minutes to reach the destination. It stops at a few stations in between and the progress is shown on a map near the gates. Also there are announcements on a public address system as the train enters a station. I recall the Hindi announcements as rather amusing as it will say , "यह स्टेशन है." with a sense of finality and then add the name of the station as an afterthought.
Carts and help are available at the other end too. Only difference being that you engage the help first and pay for it later on the counter near the exit gate.
There are several exits from the DAME station. You take the one opposite the Ajmeri gate side of the New Delhi railway station. The station is just across the road. If you can lug your own luggage there are no issues. However if you need help your pleasant experience ends here for a session of hard bargain.
I must add that the metro like all local trains stops only for a short while, may be a minute or so. So you have to be swift in boarding and alighting. And so if you have lots of luggage, getting paid help is a must.
DAME station at terminal 3 of the New Delhi International Airport is diagonally across the road as you exit from the arrival lounge. You go in and take a lift to the floor below and exit to the other side. Of course you can take your luggage cart from the airport all the way up to this place where it has to be scanned by security personnel. No help is available so be prepared to load your luggage on the scanner and to lift it off on the other side. Carts are available on the other side.
Once you have cleared the security you walk forward towards the turnstiles. The ticket counter is on the left. Tickets from Terminal 3 to New Delhi railway station costs Rs.150/= per person. You get a printed receipt and small round tokens, one per person. The token is used for operating the turnstiles while entering and surrendered at the exit by placing it in a slot on the turnstile. If you want help you have to say so at the counter and you will be issued another ticket for Rs.50/=. They will call a person who will push the cart and load your luggage on the train.
Once on the platform you will find the rail tracks hidden behind a wall of a series of sliding gates. When the train arrives, the gates on each compartment align with these gates and both open together to let you board / alight. There are four racks, one on either side of the two opposite gates of the train compartment. The compartments are clean and air-conditioned. Though a lone pesky mosquito kept attacking me in particular. The whole long compartment had less than half a dozen passengers so the space on the racks was quite adequate.
Though I didn't exactly time it, the train perhaps took around 20 minutes to reach the destination. It stops at a few stations in between and the progress is shown on a map near the gates. Also there are announcements on a public address system as the train enters a station. I recall the Hindi announcements as rather amusing as it will say , "यह स्टेशन है." with a sense of finality and then add the name of the station as an afterthought.
Carts and help are available at the other end too. Only difference being that you engage the help first and pay for it later on the counter near the exit gate.
There are several exits from the DAME station. You take the one opposite the Ajmeri gate side of the New Delhi railway station. The station is just across the road. If you can lug your own luggage there are no issues. However if you need help your pleasant experience ends here for a session of hard bargain.
I must add that the metro like all local trains stops only for a short while, may be a minute or so. So you have to be swift in boarding and alighting. And so if you have lots of luggage, getting paid help is a must.
Upadhyaya ji, as said, the description is vivid enough to enable readers get a vicarious travel experience with DAME. Jottings such as this will equip readers with some worthwhile information which can stand them in good stead. A suggestion: Consider compiling these jottings in a booklet form for domestic as well as foreigners who would like to have a non-official low-down about travelling in India.
ReplyDeleteVery informative and interesting....haven't yet had the experience of travelling on the Delhi metro...but your description makes me look forward for a chance to experience this....
ReplyDeletePadmaji, Just keep in mind that travelling on the regular metro isn't quite the same as on the airport express. Regular metro is quite crowded like the locals in Mumbai. Though it has automatic doors and airconditioned compartments that are conspicuously missing in Mumbai locals.
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