BENGALURU: The trial run of the first Metro train between KR Pura and Baiyappanahalli, the crucial link on the Purple Line, was carried out successfully on Wednesday evening. After a delayed start due to constant rain, the train chugged off at 6.04 pm from the KR Pura Metro station. It inched ahead slowly towards Baiyappanahalli stopping at a few spots en route for checks. The 2.5-km distance was completed in 47 minutes, said a senior Metro official.
Loco pilot P Jagadeesan steered the train with 12 people on board, comprising Metro staff from rolling stock, traction, signalling and telecommunications and track team.
The maiden run was supposed to begin at Jyotipura Metro station at 4 pm, but continuous rains forced a change of plan. “We could not remove the debris on the tracks at Jyotipura due to rain the previous day and today (Wednesday). So, the starting point was shifted to KR Pura,” the official said.
The third rail (750 volts) from which the train draws power was charged from 4 pm to facilitate the launch two hours later. “The train started at a very slow speed and touched a maximum of 15 kmph. It stopped for some time below the two steel bridges en route as well as the Jyotipura Metro station. We had to check minutely for obstructions along the tracks. This includes construction debris and even small wires,” he said.
The train was halted at Baiyappanahalli Metro Station after the completion of the run. “The original plan for a return trip from Baiyappanahalli was shelved due to the rain which dimmed visibility considerably. It will not be possible to carry out the testing thoroughly,” the official said.
Full-fledged testing will begin from Baiyappanahalli at 9.30 am on Thursday. Civil interface tests have been postponed to Thursday. “In these tests, the alignment of the floor of the coach would be checked with the platform as well as the walkway of the viaduct,” he said.
Signalling tests would go on for nearly a month, he added. The stretch is slated for launch by August-end. The Whitefield to KR Pura line was launched on March 25 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. But, the missing link between KR Pura and Baiyappanahalli, which would connect the stretch to the entire Metro network, ensured it was not completely utilised by commuters.