The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has decided to start cargo services on the Airport Express line on an experimental basis from 1 March.

The DMRC has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a specialized cargo agency for the same.

The agency will utilize the Airport Express line for transporting cargo between the New Delhi and IGI Airport Metro stations on a trial basis for three months.

Prohibited items as per statutory rules or as notified by DMRC from time to time shall not be allowed and the cargo will be transferred after the necessary security checks.

This would be the first ever occasion, when 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.

The line, which connects Indira Gandhi International Airport to New Delhi Railway Station, will test run for three months before it becomes permanent, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation officials said.