Mumbai Metro-3: Dynamic And Static Trial Run Of First Prototype Rake Is Successful

Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MMRCL) announced on Wednesday (21 December) that the dynamic and static testing of the first prototype rake trial run of the city's only underground Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ Metro line was successful.

According to an MMRCL official, the initial design proving train trial runs on the Mumbai Metro Line-3 eight-car rake prototype train involved static testing of the train's subsystems, followed by assessing its dynamic parameters while doing trial runs up to 65 kmph.

Along with integration with signalling, platform screen doors and telecom are also assessed as part of performance-proving tests.

The trial run for Metro-3, Aqua Line, began on 30 August.

After a few months of required performance and safety testing by the Research Designs and Standards Organisation, the trial run will proceed. The commissioner of railway safety (CRS) will then inspect and certify the train.

The dispatch approval for the second rake has been given after considering all the technical parameters. The second rake departed from the SriCity manufacturing facility in Andhra Pradesh for Mumbai and will likely arrive there by the end of December, reports Financial Express.

Service trials on the route will begin once the Aarey depot facilities for Line-3 are complete with train sets.

Nine trains required for the commissioning of phase I would be made available by June 2023, and the remaining will arrive by May 2024, according to MMRCL MD.

Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ Corridor

The 33.5-km long Metro-3 corridor running along Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ is the first underground metro corridor of Mumbai.

It consists of 27 metro stations out of which 26 will be underground and one at grade. 

The Mumbai Metro-3 is built in two phases. The first section of the Mumbai Metro Line-3 between Aarey Colony and Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) will be operational by December 2023.

And the second phase between BKC and Colaba would take another six months and may be completed by mid-2024.

This metro line will provide, for the first time, connectivity to the airport, Nariman Point, Cuffe Parade, Kalbadevi, Worli, BKC, airport, SEEPZ and MIDC.

Also, two crucial heritage stations in Mumbai — CSTM and Churchgate — will also be connected through the alignment.

Metro 3 has a station in Aarey Sariput Nagar. The MMRC has a backup control centre at BKC station (BCC). It will oversee all Phase 1 (BKC-SEEPZ) subway operations.

Originally, the line's construction was scheduled to be completed in 2021. However, work delays caused the deadline to be missed, and the project cost increased from Rs 23,136 crore to Rs 38,000 crore.