CR conducts first trial run on Nerul-kharkopar line
NAVIMUMBAI: In a first, the Central Railway (CR) conducted four trial runs of empty 12-coach passenger trains on the newly-constructed Nerul- Belapur-kharkopar section on Thursday.
Before this, CR was running self-propelled (run-on-fuel) engines to check infrastructure. “The work of installing the overhead wires was over as electricity was not there so far. On Thursday, we did that and ran the train using the overhead wires,” said a CR official.
AK Jain, senior public relation officer, CR, said,“sets of two trains were operated in each direction. We have also issued a notification informing people of the charged railway lines, urging them not to walk or sit on the tracks.” The train left Belapur station around 3.15pm, halted at Nerul for half-an-hour and then slowly moved towards Kharkopar. It returned in the evening.
The new ₹1,781-crore corridor is a joint venture of the Railways and the City and Industrial Development Corporation (Cidco). Although the first phase is almost ready, the Railways has not announced the date of kicking off train services in the section till now.
However, officials stated that the work will be completed by October 30 and the line is likely to be operational in November. THANE: After discovering that water in vending machines on platform one and two at Thane station was contaminated, the Central Railway has shut down all the machines there.
Water was found clean in other machines along CR. “Samples of water were inspected at the railway hospital in Byculla and the reports were found to be unsatisfactory. Once the water is found to be fit, we will start the machines,” said Shailendra Kumar, chief commercial manager, CR. The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) which installed the machines and maintains them, refuted the claim. “Inspection of the water has been done again. The water is fit for consumption,” said Siddharth Singh, IRCTC spokesperson. IRCTC officials said they have written to CR, asking it to reopen the machines.
AROOSA AHMED