Pre-trial tests for RRTS trains underway in Gzb

Ghaziabad: The preparations for the much-awaited trial run of the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) project are in the advanced stages on the 17-kilometre priority section in Ghaziabad, officials said.

Ghaziabad: The preparations for the much-awaited trial run of the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) project are in the advanced stages on the 17-kilometre priority section in Ghaziabad, officials said.

Ghaziabad, India - December 25, 2022: The fourth train of Rapid Rail has also reached Duhai Depot, before that three trains had come, whose trials are going on inside the depot, now the trial of four Rapid Rail trains is going to start very soon in Ghaziabad, India on Sunday, December 25. 2022. (Photo by Sakib Ali /Hindustan Times)

Officials of the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC), the executing agency for the RRTS project, said that the testing of four components of the RRTS trains, signalling, tracks and over-head equipment (OHE) is in the advanced stages and the trial run will begin this month itself.

The 82-kilometre-long RRTS project is pegged at ₹30,274 crore and will link Delhi, Ghaziabad and Meerut with high-speed trains having a design speed of 180kmph. The 17-km priority section in Ghaziabad will be the country’s first RRTS stretch to get operational.

“Before the trial run, extensive testing is being taken up, while the installation of OHE infrastructure, signalling and tracks is in the advanced stages. Besides, the finishing works at the five stations of the priority stretch are also in advanced stages. The trials will start in different patches of the 17-km section and the full-fledged runs will start at a later stage before the passenger operations,” said Puneet Vats, NCRTC chief public relations officer.

The NCRTC on October 21 completed the construction of the 17-km viaduct having five stations at Sahibabad, Ghaziabad City, Guldhar, Duhai and Duhai Depot.

The priority section is likely to commence passenger operations in March 2023, after necessary clearances following the trial run.

At present, the Duhai Depot houses the country’s first RRTS trains that are likely to be used for the trial runs. These trains have been manufactured under the ‘Make in India’ initiative at a manufacturing facility in Savli, Gujarat.

“Various tests are conducted on the train-sets in static as well as dynamic conditions to ensure safe operation and riding comfort for passengers. Different performance requirements such as acceleration, braking, jerk behavior and integrated performance with other subsystems of the train-sets are being tested before the actual trial. Once the coaches of a train-set are integrated, they are tested for their strength to handle the expected maximum load,” said an NCRTC officer.

“Once it is ensured that these systems can work in perfect coordination to deliver safe and efficient service to commuters, the RRTS trains will be ready to run for passengers,” the officer added.

Before the trial run ends, the NCRTC will also invite the commissioner of Metro rail safety for inspection and final clearances for the actual start of passenger operations.

The entire 82-km RRTS stretch is proposed to cater to about 800,000 passengers on a daily basis as per the detailed project report. It will have 25 stations and 22 of them will fall under the jurisdiction of the state of Uttar Pradesh.