A Kochi metro train touched the maximum operational speed of 90 km per hour (kmph) during a trial run held on Saturday along the 13-km Muttom-Palarivattom corridor and back.
The trial that lasted six hours covered metro stations at Kalamassery, Cusat, Pathadipalam, Edappally and Changampuzha Park.
It was held as a prelude to intensive trials expected from Monday onwards by a team from Research, Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO) under the Indian Railways.
The agency’s inspection is expected to last till October 5.
Saturday’s trial run up to Palarivattom attains significance since the Delhri Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has assured that the Aluva-Palarivattom corridor will be ready for commissioning by December. The metro viaduct in the Palarivattom-Maharaja’s College Ground corridor is expected to be ready by February or March, following which the project is expected to be commissioned in April.
On Saturday, the three-coach train left the Muttom depot at 3.30 p.m. and operated speeds varying from 10 kmph to 90 kmph. The trial run assessed all safety and quality factors.
RDSO trials
In the RDSO trials expected in the coming week, a train would operate at various speeds with vacant coaches and after loading them with sand bags equal to the weight of 900-odd passengers — the ‘crush-load’ capacity of each train, said metro sources.
This will be followed by inspection by the Commissioner for Railway Safety (CRS).
Published - September 25, 2016 12:00 am IST