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CMRS team starts inspecting Ruby Hall Clinic to Ramwadi stretch of Pune Metro line 1
The CMRS team will inspect the metro stations for safety and functionality. It will check various aspects such as staircases, lifts, and escalators to ensure that they meet the required standards
A team from the commissioner of metro railway safety (CMRS) visited Pune on Friday for a thorough inspection of the Ruby Hall Clinic to Ramwadi stretch of the Pune Metro line 1.
The CMRS team inspected the metro stations for safety and functionality. It checked various aspects such as staircases, lifts, and escalators to ensure that they meet the required standards. It will assess facilities for the differently-abled and regular passengers, like toilets, ramps, and signages. The team conducted a mock drill to test the fire prevention system, including smoke detection and fire alarms, and evaluate the readiness of the metro station staff to handle emergencies and evacuate passengers.
Hemant Sonawane, executive director of the Maha-Metro, said, “A team from the CMRS arrived in Pune Thursday night. It started inspecting the metro extension from Friday onwards, focusing on safety-related issues. The inspection might take a week or more. If the team has any suggestions or questions during the inspection, we will address them. It can take a little time.”
“Once everything meets the CMRS’s safety standards, the final safety certificate will be issued and we can start operating on this stretch. It will take a little time,” Sonawane said.
The Pune Metro is being executed by the Maha-Metro. At present, the Pune Metro line 1 is operational between Vanaz and Ruby Hall Clinic metro stations whereas the stretch between Ruby Hall Clinic and Ramwadi metro stations is yet to become operational. In October 2023, the Maha-Metro had conducted trials on the Ruby Hall Clinic to Ramwadi stretch (5.5 kilometres).
The Maha-Metro has been working to get CMRS approval for the Ruby Hall Clinic to Ramwadi stretch since last year however there were issues with the stairs at Yerawada metro station which caused the delay. Now that the Maha-Metro has completed work on the Ruby Hall Clinic to Ramwadi stretch of the Pune Metro line 1, passenger services on this stretch will begin after approval from the CMRS.
A Maha-Metro official said, “Once the CMRS team completes the final inspection, the Maha-Metro will receive a safety certificate. The Maha-Metro will then inform the state government, which will take the final decision to start services on this stretch.”
Speed up metro work: Dy CM
On Thursday, deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar exhorted officials to expedite work on the Pune Metro lines 1, 2 and 3. He instructed the Pune Metro Regional Development Authority (PMRDA) officials to employ strong safety measures such as using steel and cement in the construction of a pedestrian flyover along the metro line at Raj Bhavan on Ganesh Khind Road (Pune Metro line 3: Hinjewadi to Shivajinagar)
