The first Kochi Metro train is expected to zoom past at a speed of up to 90 km per hour along the test track at the Metro yard at Muttom by the end of this month.
It had attained a speed of up to 30 km per hour during trial run along the Muttom-Edappally corridor in March. “A buffer stop is awaiting Customs clearance and is expected to arrive at the yard within a few days. This mechanical device will help bring the three-coach train to a halt after it touches the top speed of 907 km per hour on the one-km-long track,” Metro sources said.
Top speed critical
The top speed is critical since tracks have a design speed of 90 km per hour.
Three of the four inspection lines at the yard are ready, while the fourth will be ready in a fortnight. This is to inspect trains that arrive from Alstom’s factory in Sri City, Andhra Pradesh.
The DMRC had sought the despatch of the second train by May 15 to carry out oscillation, load and other tests. The train will also be run parallel to the first train along the Metro viaduct. Timely completion of trial run is critical before inspection by the Commissioner for Railway Safety.
The second and subsequent trains will have standardised software following alterations made in the first train’s software after a string of tests and trial runs.
The software will be copied in the rest of the 23 trains. Three more trains are expected to be brought here by early July.
A senior Alstom official said the second train might be ready only by June.
