Ten minutes’ walk from Connaught Place, this is the quieter Airport Express stop
Shivaji Stadium Airport Express Metro sits about 800–900 meters from central Connaught Place, making it handy if you’re staying near Janpath, Bangla Sahib, or the embassy hotels on Ashoka Road. It connects directly to Indira Gandhi International Airport’s Airport Express Line, which serves T3 and, via shuttle and feeder services, T1 and T2. Trains typically run every 10–15 minutes in the day, with Airport Express operating roughly from 4:45 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.
From Shivaji Stadium to Airport T3, the metro ride is around 18–20 minutes, plus a couple of minutes for the short walk from the terminal station into departures. A single ticket on the Airport Express Line usually costs well under ₹100 per person, far less than the ₹400–₹700 you might pay for a taxi between Connaught Place and DEL depending on traffic and time of day. The station is fully air‑conditioned, and the trains carry luggage easily with wide doors and level boarding.
The station entrance sits on Baba Kharak Singh Marg, close to the Shivaji Stadium bus depot and about 600–700 meters from the Hanuman Temple intersection. Most people either walk 8–10 minutes from central Connaught Place blocks like F‑Block or take a quick auto‑rickshaw ride that runs ₹30–₹70 depending on your bargaining and exact pickup point. Because the station is off the main New Delhi Railway Station chaos, the approach usually feels calmer, even in evening rush hours.
Airport Express tickets can be bought from counters or vending machines inside Shivaji Stadium station, with contactless cards and QR tickets accepted alongside cash. Security screening at the station adds 3–8 minutes, similar to other Delhi Metro stops, but you skip the long queues that can build at New Delhi station’s Airport Express gates at peak times around 8–10 a.m. and 6–8 p.m. The same Airport Express train continues from Shivaji Stadium to New Delhi station in about 5 minutes if you need to connect to Indian Railways.
Step-by-step: Shivaji Stadium to DEL
- 1. From Connaught Place inner circle, walk 8–12 minutes toward Baba Kharak Singh Marg or take an auto‑rickshaw directly to “Shivaji Stadium metro, Airport Express.”
- 2. Enter the station, pass baggage screening and personal security check, which usually takes 3–8 minutes depending on the time of day.
- 3. Buy a token or QR ticket to “IGI Airport T3,” typically under ₹100, or tap in with a Delhi Metro smart card at the Airport Express gates.
- 4. Follow signs for the Airport Express Line platform; trains toward the airport run every 10–15 minutes, and the ride to T3 is about 18–20 minutes.
- 5. At Airport T3 station, follow the overhead “Departures / Terminal 3” signs; the walk to check‑in counters usually takes 3–7 minutes depending on airline and door.
One practical tip: if your flight from T3 leaves before 7:00 a.m., check the first‑train timing for that specific day and aim to be on a train at least 2–3 hours before scheduled departure.