KOLKATA (Metro Rail News): A non-AC rake will be travelling on trailers from the Noapara carshed to the Joka terminal on Wednesday night for the trials of Phase 1 Joka Esplanade Metro corridor.
This month, train trials were supposed to begin along the elevated Joka-Taratala line, as stated by the implementation agency Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd (RVNL). But finding a rake, getting it ready, and planning the transfer took longer than expected. The procedure of transferring the non-AC rake—which will be used for the test runs—finally got underway on Wednesday.
For the next eight days, two of the eight coaches will be transported on alternating days.
An RVNL representative stated, “The trailers will return after unloading, reload, and go back the next day”. The trailers can travel at night only when traffic regulations are eased. The train trials will start along the viaduct with the assembled rake, which will undergo practice runs inside the depot.
“Only AC rakes are used for operations along the Kavi Subhas-Dakshineswar line after the phase-out of non-AC rakes.” the representative added.
According to a Metro Railway official, one of these non-AC rakes was chosen from the Noapara carshed and prepared for test runs for the Joka-Esplanade Metro’s Phase 1 trials.
The rake should roll out of the Joka depot in another fortnight, stated Metro officials. “It will be assembled and tested inside the depot. It will be put on the tracks once it is deemed ready for trials,” the RVNL representative said. The Joka-Taratala segment does not have the signals installed yet, therefore this testing will be different from those conducted on the city’s new Metro lines, the East-West and the Dakshineswar Metro.
For this project and the Kavi Subhas-Ruby section of the New Garia-Airport corridor, RVNL was only able to float tenders for the advanced communication-based train control (CBTC) signalling in January of this year. Due to this, only one train will operate on Phase 1 of both lines. One train will always be on the tracks at a time under the one-train-only arrangement, which operates on short terminal segments. Officials stated that in the absence of the signaling system, radars and microwaves will be used to conduct the train trials.