Nagpur: In a major milestone for Mahametro, Research Design and Standards Organization (RDSO) has issued speed certificate for at grade section of Nagpur Metro. This certificate will now be sent to Railway Board for approval after which Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety (CMRS) will do the final inspection. Once CMRS clears the section, Mahametro will be able to start commercial operation, which is scheduled in January 2018.
RDSO is a Ministry of Railways organization that tests technical aspects of new railway projects. Mahametro had conducted self trial of at grade section and sent the results to the Lucknow-based organization. The certificate was received on Monday.
Speed certificate signifies that the Metro track in at grade section is safe for operation. The conclusion was reached on the basis of oscillations recorded by oscillation measurement system (OMS) fitted on a Metro Rail coach during trial run. If the oscillations are within limit, then the track is fit for operation.
Getting approval from Railway Board is just a formality as it would not conduct any tests. CMRS, which is an independent organization under Ministry of Civil Aviation, will do a retest. “The commissioner office will do a comprehensive test. The officials will check the tracks, stations, electric traction signalling and telecom system. They will also check whether our staff is well trained and capable of handling the operations. All things will be checked at one go,” said Brijesh Dixit, managing director of Mahametro.
Mahametro had earlier got seven mandatory clearances from RDSO and Railway Board. It had got five of them in August while the ones pertaining to track and electrical traction were obtained in September. Nagpur Metro got these clearances in record time.
The Metro agency had started the trial run soon after the coaches arrived from Hyderabad. At first the train was run near the Mihan depot and when the track was complete it was run up to Airport South station, which is 5.4km from the depot.
There are three stations on the present at grade section — Khapri, New Airport and Airport South. Mahametro is aware that until Mihan gets linked with Sitabuldi it will not get passenger traffic. It plans to conduct joyrides for Nagpurians in morning and evening hours. The track will be used for ferrying construction material during the rest of the day.
