Navi Mumbai: CMRS to conduct safety trials of phase 1 of line 1 metro on January 17

The Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety (CMRS) will conduct the safety trials of phase 1 of line 1 of Navi Mumbai Metro on January 17 and 18 from Pendhar to Central Park in Kharghar, said an official.

The tests will be conducted in two phases which will continue till the end of the month, says a CIDCO official. The commercial operation of Navi Mumbai Metro will begin only after approval from CMRS.

Navi Mumbai Metro has already received a Speed Certificate for phase 1 of line 1 from the Research Design and Standard Organization (RDSO), Lucknow in October.

“The safety certificate obtained from the CMRS will be the most important towards starting the Navi Mumbai Metro for commuter traffic. Once the final certificate is obtained, traffic will soon be started on Line-1 ( Pendhar to Central Park) and every Navi Mumbaikar’s dream of Metro travel will soon be a reality," said Dr Sanjay Mukherjee, vice-chairman and Managing Director, CIDCO.

As per the CIDCO official, the tests will be conducted in two phases. "The trials will include the testing of the empty metro as well as metro running with heavy loads as per AW3 standards (Maximum Passenger Capacity), depot and DCC inspection, undergear testing, fire/smoke test, passenger evacuation test, sound test, etc."

"A safety certificate will be issued by the CMRS & Railway Board upon the successful completion of these important tests. This will allow CIDCO to initiate direct passenger transport," said the official.

Soon after getting an interim speed certificate from RDSO, CIDCO through MahaMetro had moved to the commissioner of metro railway safety (CMRS) for further approval. The RDSO had conducted the oscillation trial of Navi Mumbai metro on the first and second week of September.

After conducting the tests, the CMRS will submit the report to the Railway Board. Based on the report, the Railway Board will give the green light to the first Navi Mumbai Metro service. According to the CIDCO official, the whole process may at least two months.

In December, the CIDCO had decided to the fare of metro ride. The base fare will be Rs 10 and it will increase by Rs 5 every two km. However, beyond 10 km, the minimum fare will be Rs 40.

Phase 1 of Navi Mumbai consists of 11 stoppages covering a distance of 11.1 km from Belapur to Pendhar (near Taloja).

However, out of 11 stations under phase one of Navi Mumbai Metro, CIDCO has planned to start commercial services in five stations from Taloja end. After starting the services, commuters can use the services between Central Park in Kharghar to Pendhar in Taloja which is around 5.14 km.