Two more trains for Chennai Metro Rail will sail into Chennai Port this week. The second and third train were shipped from Sao Paolo in Brazil in the last week of October.
Just as in the case of the first train, which arrived from Brazil on May 31 and was subsequently taken to the depot in Koyambedu, these two trains will also go through various tests.
The test run for the first train was conducted in the first week of November in the 800-metre test track in the depot. “We will continue to the test the first train for the next few months. The other two trains will also go through static and dynamic tests and be checked for the effective functionality of the air-conditioning, traction system, air compressor and electricity,” said a Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) official.
The fourth and fifth trains are in various stages of completion, he added.
Chennai Metro Rail, being built at a cost of Rs. 14,600 crore, will have a total of 42 trains manufactured by France-based Alstom Transport. Of these, nine will be made in Brazil and the rest at the special economic zone, Sri City in Andhra Pradesh.
Meanwhile, a diesel shunting loco reached Chennai Port on November 15 from USA. This loco will help in pulling trains either in the elevated or underground tracks in case of an emergency or for repairs.
“The loco will always be stationed at the depot. It will also be used for the maintenance of other trains at the Koyambedu depot,” said the official.
