DMRC Starts Trial Runs on Magenta Line’s Janakpuri – Airport Section

After airlifting, offloading and coupling 6 coaches together at Sadar Bazar, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation yesterday launched trial runs on the 10 km Janakpuri  West – Terminal 1 IGI Airport section of the Delhi Metro’s 38.23 km Magenta Line. This is the 2nd stretch of the line where trial runs have started, with trial runs underway on the 12 km Botanical Garden – Kalkaji in the other end of the city since October 27, 2016.

As per a press release:

During these trials, the interface of the Metro train will be checked to ensure that there is no physical infringement with civil infrastructure during the movement of the train on the track and also testing of various subsystems of coaches shall be done.  Later on, in stages, the new signaling technology to be implemented on this corridor, the Communication Based Train Control (CBTC) will also undergo rigorous testing. The response of the train at different speeds, braking of the train and the interconnection with the Operations Control Centre (OCC) will also be monitored during the trials. The behavior of the track system and the Over Head Electrification (OHE) will be checked repeatedly.

The section between Janakpuri West – T1 IGI Airport consists of 5 underground and 1 elevated station at Janakpuri West (interchange with Blue Line), Dabri Mor, Dashrathpuri, Palam, Sadar Bazar Cantonment (elevated) and Terminal 1 – IGI Airport. From a construction perspective, this section was built by 3 contractors:

CC-34 – Janakpuri West to Palam by HCC-Samsung JV
CC-32 – Palam to Shankar Vihar by ITD-ITD Cem JV
CC-29 – West Ramp to Sadar Bazar Cantonment to East Ramp by Afcons Infrastructure

Janakpuri – Airport section of Magenta Line – view Delhi Metro Phase 3 info & map

Images:

Puja on the Janakpuri Station’s platform – Photo Copyright: Vinod Ojha

Flagged off! – Photo Copyright: DMRC

Engineers from ITD (CC-32)- Photo Copyright: Himanshu Dimri

Photo Copyright: Kuldeep Chauhan

Photo Copyright: Vineet Shukla

Photo Copyright: Kuldeep Chauhan

Photo Copyright: Sandip Mondal

Photo Copyright: Kuldeep Chauhan

Video:

With the commencement of trials on this section, now about 23 kms out of 38 kms of route-length are undergoing trial runs with interior finishing works taking place side by side. Now only the commencement of trial runs on the 15 km ‘mid-section’ of the line, between the T1 Airport – Kalkaji, is pending. The last TBM breakthrough on that section was achieved on November 28 at Munirka Station, and it’ll take at least another 6 months for trial runs to begin.

Sections of Delhi Metro’s Magenta Line – view Delhi Metro Phase 3 info & map

For more updates, check out the Delhi section of The Metro Rail Guy!

– TMRG

written by

Global traveler who prefers mass rapid transit

29 Responses to "DMRC Starts Trial Runs on Magenta Line’s Janakpuri – Airport Section"

  1. Aby k says:

    In phase 3 platform can only accommodate 6 coach trains or any provision for 8 coach trains as well

    Reply
    • TMRG says:

      All stations are 140m long and can accommodate a max of 6 coaches where each coach is 22m long. Their game plan is operate trains on a very high frequency thus negating the need for longer trains or more land for stations.

      Reply
  2. Aditya Benwal says:

    Max 6 coach train.

    Reply
  3. samra says:

    As per dmrc ,it will not take another 6 months for whole line trial as track laying is near to complete on last & only pending section between vasant vihar & munirka and that is also of one side only.
    Wats ur opinion on this.

    Reply
    • TMRG says:

      Hi, the DMRC cannot always be trusted. Track-work on other sections is also pending. See a recent image from inside the GK station here. More general images from the station can be found here.

      Besides that, the subcontractors also need to complete installing other sub-systems (electrical, signalling, telecom) before any proper trial runs on the line can start.

      Reply
  4. Samra says:

    So wats the benefit of doing separate trial of this stretch as the same will not have any approach to depot & can be made operational only after remaing section complete.

    Reply
    • TMRG says:

      Hi, benefit includes testing out all the subsystems & physical infra to make sure they are configured correctly prior to commencing operations. Initially they’ll test/observe the train’s performance with the physical infra, then move on to the track-system, then to the electrical system and finally onto the CBTC signalling system whenever the Airport-Kalkaji section is ready.

      Reply
  5. Siddhant Kumar says:

    Do you have any update on partly demolished building issue after i.p extension metro station. They are saying that they are negotiating with the owner. When it is expected

    Reply
  6. Siddhant Kumar says:

    Do you have any update on partly demolished building issue after i.p extension metro station. They are saying that they are negotiating with the owner.When it is expected to be demolished.

    Reply
  7. Azad Babu says:

    Good point. That make sense..

    Reply
  8. Nadeemur Rahman says:

    Is there any tbm to to extracted out between kalkaji and iit gate.

    If no, why is the botanical garden trial not upto hauz khas

    Reply
    • TMRG says:

      Hi Nadeemur,
      (1) Nope. All TBMs on that stretch are out.
      (2) Track and subsystem installation work is pending. Whenever that is complete, they’ll begin trial runs.

      Reply
  9. Shikhar says:

    What is the point of starting trials between Janakpuri West and Airport if the section can’t be made operational until it has connectivity with the depot?

    Reply
    • TMRG says:

      To save time! The testing phase can take anywhere from 3-5 months, so why wait until the rest of the line is ready? This way, later on they’ll just have to perform testing on the Airport – Kalkaji section followed by a final round of comprehensive tests on the entire line.

      Reply
  10. Tanmay says:

    Is it possible that dmrc will commence janakpuri-igi section separately with 2-3 trains as interchange facility b/w to & fro is available on igi.

    Reply
    • TMRG says:

      They can’t start operations as the signalling system can only go live after the airport – Kalkaji section is also live. Without the depot, operation and maintenance will be a nightmare, so it’s better to wait.

      Btw this line will not be connected to the Airport Express (Orange Line) at IGI. They’ll cross over each other (as shown in the maps above), but won’t have an interchange.

      Reply
  11. Tanmay says:

    Wats ur opinion on this.

    Reply
    • TMRG says:

      March opening for Botanical Garden – Kalkaji section sounds about right. Maybe next month they’ll invite the CMRS to conduct a safety inspection? Let’s see.

      Reply
  12. Avneet Nigam says:

    Have they not provided an interchange with Palam Railway station on this line? it’s too bad if they have not. Lack of sufficient interconnections with railways has been one of the weak points of delhi metro, and has prevented and integrated public transportation system

    Reply
    • TMRG says:

      Multi-modal integration isn’t DMRC’s forte. The metro station is 1 km away from the railway station, so no easy interchange facility is available here like at so many other places.

      Reply
      • Avneet Nigam says:

        True that, similar situations exist at Kishanganj-Pratap nagar, tughlakabad, Patel nagar- Satguru ram singh marg etc.

        They should really take it seriously though,

        Reply
  13. kuldeep k says:

    good to have you back,i am also travelling since 2 weeks now nd out of the city ,so no source to get any info nd other media outlets dnt give a shit of whats happening with one the best transport systems of India,thank you for the detailed artcle

    Reply
  14. rahul says:

    whats the latest update on this magenta line? by when will the entire line start operations?

    Reply
  15. PArveen says:

    What is the latest update on botanical garden to kalakaji ji section magenta line? By when will this section start. Target is march 2017. Any final date to start this section?

    Reply
  16. T.S. Srinivasan says:

    The original plan of starting the Megenta Line on phased manner was in March 2017. But nothing is happening. I was eagerly waiting for the line from Palam to IIT Gate which helps me to my work place. With the delay, I will have the night-marish experience of travelling by bus which really eats away my time. Any solace from Delhi METRO? Srinivasan

    Reply
  17. T.S. Srinivasan says:

    I had written many emails to DMRC for connectivity within Dwarka to Sector 21 for the Airport Express Line, but no concrete outcome received. It is a stupidity for a person to take a rickshaw to sub-city metro line (within Dwearka) travel upto Sector 21 and again travel to your destination. I also find there is no proper way of commuting from Shivaji Stadium to North Block (where Home & Finance Ministries are located). When you will wake up Delhi Metro?

    Reply
  18. T.S. Srinivasan says:

    Delhi Metro is surviving because of traffic snarls/jams on city roads. If the roads are free, the DTC/Cluster will give the Delhi Metro a run for their money

    Reply

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