Shunting loco from US lands in Koyambedu
Shunting loco for Chennai’s first metro train imported from St Thomas’ Mount, USA.
By : k. karthikeyan
Update: 2013-11-16 11:07 GMT
Chennai: The city’s first metro train could make quick trips between Koyambedu and St Thomas’ Mount in four months as a diesel shunting loco arrived in Chennai from USA on Friday. It will facilitate easy movement of the metro train within the depot and from the elevated corridor in case of a breakdown later.
CMRL has been using a battery-powered shunter to pull the train from the workshop line and berth it on the fully fenced test track. With the arrival of the diesel loco, mobility of the train anywhere on the tracks within the depot would be easy, a CMRL official said.
Meanwhile, a shipment carrying two more four-car metro trains from Brazil will arrive in Chennai port this month. The second and third trains will also be berthed at the Koyambedu depot. The test run of the first train will be followed by that of the other two, the official pointed out, adding that if the elevated corridor was ready, the first train would go for a trial run and the other trains would be put on a test run after static testing.
Incidentally, the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety from Bangalore Sathish Kumar Mittal inspected the metro rail project along with CMRL managing director K. Rajaram this week. Mittal inspected the balanced cantilever work near the Kathipara flyover, Alandur station, Ashok Nagar station, CMBT station and viaduct, Koyambedu depot, track and test track works and rolling stock.