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  Metro-1 to increase speed to 80 kmph from July

Metro-1 to increase speed to 80 kmph from July

AGE CORRESPONDENT
Published : Jun 30, 2016, 1:41 am IST
Updated : Jun 30, 2016, 1:41 am IST

A metro ride on the Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar (VAG) Metro-1 corridor is set to get shorter as the Mumbai Metro One Private Limited (MMOPL) has got sanctioned from Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety

A file image of the Flora Fountain area in South Mumbai
 A file image of the Flora Fountain area in South Mumbai

A metro ride on the Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar (VAG) Metro-1 corridor is set to get shorter as the Mumbai Metro One Private Limited (MMOPL) has got sanctioned from Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety (CMRS) to increase its speed limit from the current 65kmph to 80kmph from July 2.

At the beginning, the Metro had started with an operating speed of 50kmph. It began to run at a higher speed of 65kmph from March 24, 2016.

“It was an intermediate step in eventually plying the Mumbai Metro rolling stock at the maximum operating speed. After the approval from CMRS, the Railway Board also gave its clearance on November 18, 2015.

Following the mandatory clearances, the Metro pilots were trained rigorously for the next few months for running the trains at higher speed,” said a MMOPL official.

The increase in speed will save an estimated 30 seconds per round trip. The Metro-1 corridor services were started in 2014 when the Research, Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO) had recommended a speed limit of 50 kmph. However, it had also stated that from time to time the speed limit could be increased.

According to the Metro Act, in case a new technology is implemented in urban transport, it needs safety clearances from the Railways. RDSO is also one of the advisors to the Railway Board and gives technical examination of proposals suggested by various authorities.

Metro-1 has crossed the gross commuter figure of 19 crore passengers in just over 750 days of its operations after its inauguration in 2014. Its weekday ridership is now 3.2 lakh, an increase of about 10 per cent over last year’s figures.

An RTI query had revealed that metro patronage increased even after the inaugural fares of the services were increased.