Kochi: The Kochi Metro train on Saturday achieved the maximum operational speed of 90 kmph during a key test trial held on the 9-km stretch from Muttom yard to Palarivattom. It was for the first time that the trial run was done both on the upline (Muttom to Palarivattom) and downline (Palarivattom to Muttom) of the first stretch to be opened for commercial services by March next.
“The Metro train with three coaches left the Muttom depot at 3.30 p.m. and operated at various speeds, starting from 10 kmph and then progressively increasing to 90 kmph, the maximum operational speed. The exercise lasted over six hours and was found satisfactory,” a senior Metro official said.
Now officials from the Research, Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO) wing of the railways would inspect the section from Aluva to Palarivattom. The team is slated to arrive on Monday and the inspection would go on till October 5. “The trial run will continue to assess all safety factors. It also includes operation with vacant coaches and also after loading them with sand bags equal to the weight of 900 passengers, the maximum passenger capacity, in a single rake,” the official said.
Upon successfully conducting the exercise and the RDSO officials giving safety clearance, the final inspection of the section will be done by the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety (CMRS). The authorities aim to complete all the exercises by December. The maiden trial run on tracks was carried out on February 27 in the 3.5-km Muttom-Kalamassery section, touching a speed of up to 10 km per hour.
