LMRC fails safety test, to undergo trials again

Commissioner, Metro Rail Safety (CMRS) has refused a safety certificate to Lucknow Metro Rail Corporation (LMRC) till it passes the maximum speed limit and signals trial tests.

He has directed the LMRC to remove all the technical glitches within 10 days and hold trials again so that he may issue the safety certificate to Lucknow Metro.

This has come as a shocker both for the common man and the Metro officials.

Earlier , the Research Designs & Standards Organization (RDSO) had certified Lucknow Metro trains for safe running up to 80 km/ph based on the successful completion of the oscillation trials.

Based on the RDSO’s test, the ministry of railways, Government of India had approved Lucknow Metro trains for safe running up to 80 km/hr. But the Commissioner, Metro Rail Safety has refused safety certificate to the LMRC.

During the CMRS’ inspection of Lucknow Metro trains and different systems last week, a number of tests and trials were held in the presence of Metro officials in the “Priority Corridor”.

However, the Metro train was not able to achieve the maximum permissible speed of 80 km/hr, as the stations were at short distances. Not only that, the CMRS desired to see some tests, particularly the load deflection test, on special spans of Mawaiyya and Singar Nagar for which the Metro coaches would have to be filled with sandbags and then moved on these special spans.

The signalling system for the Automatic Train Protection (ATP) that has been implemented by the LMRC marginally restricts the maximum achievable speed during train operation on account of safety.

This has to be made suitable. This is because the CMRS has also asked LMRC to arrange and demonstrate running of trains at the maximum permissible speed of 80km/hr, for which the Automatic Train Protection (ATP) shall need to be bypassed for testing.

LMRC is planning to demonstrate these tests to the CMRS in the coming days and officials say that the process is likely to take around 10 days.