Crucial inspection likely on July 27-28 before green light
The commissioner of metro rail safety (CMRS) is scheduled to make an on-site inspection of operational preparedness of the Lucknow Metro Rail service this week before giving the much-awaited green light to the project to be thrown open to the public.
“The CMRS is expected to carry out the inspection on July 27 and 28,” said a senior LMRC official who did not wish to be named.
To ensure nothing is left to chance, the LMRC has been conducting trials full throttle for 16 hours a day for the past 10 days with 254 operations and maintenance staff.
“The CMRS will ensure that the 8.9 kilometre elevated line from Transport Nagar to Charbagh railway station conforms to the prescribed standards and specifications before it is opened for passenger traffic,” said the LMRC official.
Security equipment like CCTV, security control room, door frame and hand-held metal detectors and x-ray baggage scanners have been installed at all the stations.
“We have adopted the security measures being followed by Chennai Metro. UP police will carry out regular patrolling at the station. Besides bomb and dog squads, Quick Response Team would also be on stand-by,” he said. The LMRC had received technical clearance of its rolling stock (metro train) from the ministry of railways on June 8, allowing a maximum operational speed of 80 km/hr.
The service was initially planned to be thrown open to the public on March 26. But the once prestigious project got delayed. The LMRC had submitted its paper to the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) on March 30, 2017 from where it was forwarded to the chief commissioner of railway safety (CCRS) and then to the Railway Board, ministry of railways, for technical clearance.