Two new generation coaches, part of Delhi Metro’s Phase III expansion, were placed on the tracks on Monday near the Sadar Bazar Metro station of the upcoming Magenta line.
It was done to expedite trial runs on a 13-km-long section between the Janakpuri West, one of its ends, and IGI Airport (domestic terminal) stations. The other end of the line is at Botanical Garden in Noida.
Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) plans to launch the corridor (line 7) in parts next year because trial runs across the line cannot be undertaken as work is still on along certain stretches, hindering access to the depot at Kalindi Kunj, an official said.
Moreover, Phase III will see the implementation of the Communication Based Train Control (CBTC) technology for the first time.
The commissioning time for signalling is likely to take longer and hence, it was decided to take up commissioning work in multiple sections side by side, a DMRC spokesperson said.
“Through a carefully planned operation, the coaches were lowered near the ramp (the location where the alignment goes underground from elevated) and positioned on the tracks with the help of special high capacity cranes and trailers,” the spokesperson said.
The remaining four coaches of the train will be positioned on the tracks in the next few days after which the process of starting trials will begin, the official said.
“In a similar operation, a four coach train was lowered on a ramp near lajpat Nagar in 2010 to begin the trial runs on the Central Secretariat - Badarpur Violet corridor.
However, this particular operation is more challenging as six coaches are being placed this time instead of four,” DMRC said in a statement.
Heritage Corridor wait prolongs
New Delhi: The launch of ITO-Kashmere Gate ‘Heritage Corridor’ of Delhi Metro scheduled for this month has been put off until January-end next year. DMRC chief Mangu Singh has cited the combined effect of construction ban and demonetisation behind the delay. Singh termed as “setback” the double whammy of ban on construction activities in the wake of alarming pollution levels and the currency ban, saying the two decisions made the task of retaining labourers difficult.
“It suffered a setback in the last one and a half months. Although it would be possible to present the line to the public by January end,” said Singh. The 5.17-km-long section, an extension of the Faridabad-ITO corridor (Violet line), was well on course for a launch this December otherwise,” he added.
“If you stop work for 10 days, labourers will not sit idle. Construction came to a halt and nobody knew when it will resume. People waited for one-two days and went away.
“So remobilising was a difficult job and then this currency ban thing came. One must appreciate that labourers depend on daily wages for their sustenance. This has really affected work particularly towards the end,” Singh said.
He said constructing this particular underground section, below the centuries-old walled city, was one of the “most difficult” projects undertaken by the Metro with the need to bring in change in “alignments” being one of the factors.
Trial runs began in August on this section that will have three stations -- Delhi Gate, Jama Masjid and Red Fort.
Singh, who took over as Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) chief in 2012 from E Shreedharan, is likely to serve for five more years with the Delhi Government clearing a proposal in this regard.
The decision, however, will be put before the Urban Development Ministry as the Ministry and the Delhi Government have 50-50 partnership in DMRC.