KOLKATA: A 3-km trial run of metro coaches was undertaken from Central Park Metro station to Salt Lake Sector V Metro station along the East-West Metro route of Kolkata Metro on Wednesday evening.
On board with 60 people, mostly Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation Limited (KMRCL) officials, the metro rail covered three stations Central Park, Karunamoyee and Salt Lake Sector V in three hours.
Regular services are expected to be opened from Central Park to Salt Lake Sector V metro stations from October while services are expected to be extended till Phoolbagan metro station before Sealdah by March next year.While the average speed of the metro coaches was 5 kmph, the highest speed it attained during the trial run was 22 kmph.
"The trial run was operated to look out for any flaws in the tracks' alignment and the third rail from which the trains will derive power," KMRCL director (projects) Manas Sarkar said.
The metro rakes have been brought on 108-wheeled trailers from Bengaluru after being manufactured by Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML) in the southern metropolis.
Most of the work in the 16.5 km second metro line of Kolkata from Salt Lake Sector V to Howrah Maidan has been completed, including the underwater tunnel connecting Howrah and Kolkata cities.
Presently, tunnel boring machines are digging tunnels from Esplanade to Sealdah metro stations, a critical spot of the city which houses century-old buildings.