India’s very first Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) train set reached ‘Duhai depot’ on Monday on a trailer from the manufacturing plant located in Savli, Gujarat. All the six coaches of the train set were loaded on six separate trailers. “The train set will be assembled in the depot itself,” said a National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) official.
As the coaches arrived at the Duhai depot, the NCRTC officials said that the testing phase would begin and various trials would be carried out on RRTS trains.
“To ensure safe travel for commuters, the NCRTC will be testing the coaches through various processes to ensure proper signalling, rolling stock and continuous power supply,” said the official.
“After the success of all the testing procedures, a pre-operational trial will be conducted. Only then will the train be made operational for passengers,” the official added.
According to officials, the trials runs are expected to commence by the end of this year while it will be operational for passengers from 2023. “The first trial run will be on the 17-km long priority section constructed between Sahibabad to Duhai,” said the official adding that installation of roof shed for trains, construction of underpass and boundary wall in Duhai Depot are being carried out at a brisk pace.
“The installation work of OHE for the power supply for trains is also to commence soon. Poles and cantilevers have already been installed for the installation of OHE in the Depot. Soon, the entire Depot will be ready for the operation of trains,” said the official.
“The construction of the viaduct connecting the Duhai RRTS station with the Duhai Depot is also going on at a pace. With the completion of this viaduct, the line will be ready for the trains to exit the depot. The track laying and installation of OHE in the priority section are also in progress,” the official added.
Giving details about the testing and maintenance of the recently procured coaches, the official said that 11 stabling lines, two workshop lines, three Internal-Bay Lines (IBL) and one Heavy Internal Cleaning (HEC) line are being constructed.
“The construction of one workshop and one IBL line is in the final stage, while the construction of the rest of the lines has been completed. Stabilizing lines are used to upload and park the trains,” he said.
Puneet Vats, the spokesperson of NCRTC said that this project is going to be the harbinger of change in the national capital region. Such high-speed seamless connectivity in the NCR will drive balanced and sustainable urban development in the region.