After delays of more than two years, the Mumbai Metro has scheduled its first trial run for December with the intention of launching operations by March 2012.
The trial run will be operated between Versova – Andheri, for which the electrification work will be ‘completed soon’.
Dilip Kawathkar, Jt Project Director (PR), Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) said:
“Trains arrived last April from CSR Nanjing’s Shanghai yard. There could be a trial run on the Versova – Andheri stretch by the year-end, but we cannot give you any exact date.”
Mumbai Metro’s Line 1 is 11.4 km and runs from Versova – Andheri – Ghatkopar, forming an East-East connectivity. It was developed by Mumbai Metro One Pvt Ltd (MOPL).
A ‘special purpose vehicle’ formed by Reliance Infrastructure, MMRDA and Veolia Transport is constructing the route.
Reliance holds 69% of the JV whilst MMRDA holds 26% and Veolia Transport, 5%.
The rolling stock contract was won by Beijing-based CSR Nanjing, which will supply 16 metro trains to Mumbai.
The first set of four trains have already been despatched to Mumbai and another four are expected to be shipped from China next month.
Currently, the trains have been kept at the ‘car shed’ spread over a 31-acre plot at Versova, near the proposed D N Nagar station.
The shed is 70% complete and the main operational control room for the Line 1 corridor will be situated in the car depot, an MMRDA official said.
Chinese trains? Why! haven’t these idiots (the powers that be) learnt lessons from the horrendously ugly and poorly built BEST A/C “King Long” buses? Smells like another disaster in the making.. good luck Mumbai!
chinese train .( no pun intended) but chinese sucks man . MMRDA how could u ???????????
God bless INDIA . That’s why we need JAN LOKPAL BILL .