Mumbai: CMRS starts inspection of Phase 1 of Metro corridors 2A and 7

The inspection will go on over a period of one week.

MMRDA metropolitan commissioner SVR Srinivas confirmed the development and said the inspection will go on for a few days.

Last month, MMRDA had received a provisional certification from the Research, Design and Standard Organisation (RDSO) for the stretch. The RDSO certification is one of the pre-requisite clearances needed to begin commercial metro operations.

At that time, The Indian Express had reported that the MMRDA will be applying for CMRS clearance.

The Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA) is constructing a 35-km stretch of two elevated Metro corridors – Line 2A between Dahisar and D N Nagar and Line 7 between Dahisar East and Andheri East.

The commercial operation of both the lines has been planned in two phases and the project has missed earlier deadlines.

At present, MMRDA is testing the lines partially between Aarey and Dahisar East (Line 7) and Dahisar (West) and Dahanukarwadi (Line 2A).

As part of Phase 1 of the project, 2A and 7 corridors will cover 18 stations.

Earlier, while starting trial of Metro 2A and 7 lines, MMRDA had announced that the Phase 1 of the project will be operational in October 2021. However, it has been delayed. Now, the phase corridors are expected to be operational in the upcoming month.

The remaining stretch, apart from Phase 1, has also missed the deadline for the start of the trial run as most of the work is still pending there.

Meanwhile, Bharat Earth Movers Limited has supplied all the 10 Metro rakes to MMRDA for starting operation on the lines. The MMRDA has also prepared a tentative time table of the Metro services on the route.

The Metro rakes are likely to have separate coaches for specially challenged people and women.

An official said, “The time table and other things are under review and we are preparing to start the operation and all the necessary things required for it — from training the ticket issuing staff to running the services. A mock drill was conducted at Aarey station on Friday as a practical training session for the employees working at the station so that they could get a brief knowledge of how to handle certain situations at the time.”

The official further said, “We are targeting a month or so to start the services.”