Trials for Kalindi-Botanic Metro to start before Diwali

NOIDA: The under-construction 3.9-km link between Kalindi Kunj in Delhi and Botanic Garden Metro station in Noida is likely to be ready for trials by Diwali. According to DMRC officials, though they are targeting October 30 for commencing the trials, they could well be launched much before that. The track is likely to be ready for commissioning by January 2017. The original target for completion of the track is March 2017, while trials were to start by December 2016.
During trials, the interface of the Metro train, which will be driverless, will be checked to ensure that there is no physical infringement with civil infrastructure during the movement of the train on the track and also testing of various subsystems of coaches shall be done.
Officials said that civil work on the stretch has been 100% completed. Viaduct or laying of the track has also been completed 100%. Installation of the new signaling technology to be implemented on this corridor and Communication Based Train Control (CBTC) is being undertaken and should be completed in the next 10-15 days. While masts for the Over Head Electrification (OHE) is 100% complete, the electrical lines are being put into place. This work is about 60% done and should be completed before the target date, officials said.
Work on the track kick-started in December 2014. Finishing work along the stations along the route will be carried out once the trails are over and the line is ready for the public.
The Kalindi Kunj-Botanical Garden track will connect to DMRC's magenta line. With this track in place, Noida will have two colour coded lines—Blue line and Magenta line—operating out of the city. Once this Rs 845 crore corridor is ready, commuters will no longer have to go to Rajiv Chowk Metro station to take the yellow line (Huda City Centre to Samaypur Badli) as the corridor will form a ringed route and connect Botanic Garden station with Hauz Khas station via Amity University, Kalindi Kunj and Kalkaji temple station.