Chennai Metro Rail Limited plans to start the 25kv power supply in the phase I extension project in north Chennai between Washermenpet and Wimco Nagar this week.
While one track will be energised on Monday, the other will be done on Saturday. They are planning to conduct a trial run in two weeks as well.
According to CMRL officials, they will monitor and check the line for any issues that emerge during this phase and resolve them in the next two months. Since CMRL plans to complete this 9 km stretch by the end of January 2021, it has to install and check the functioning of all important systems in the next month.
“We want to carry out the trial run first by operating a locomotive engine by mid-December. Then, in a few weeks, we will operate a train as well,” an official said. Now that the track work has been completed, the trial run can be done any time.
The construction of stations and installation of telecom and signalling system has been under way now, and officials hope to finish it by mid-January. “Installation of platform screen doors in the underground stations has commenced and may be finished in a month,” another official said.
Meanwhile, sources indicated that the construction of stations had to gain speed at the earliest, failing which it may be very difficult to complete the work before the final inspection and the opening of the stretch.
