3rd New Train Arrives at Lucknow Metro’s Transport Nagar Depot
On April 12, the 3rd new 4-coach Alstom Metropolis train-set for Lucknow Metro’s 22.87 km Line-1 arrived in the city’s Transport Nagar Depot. The train left Alstom’s Sri City facility in Andhra Pradesh on March 31 and traveled roughly 2000 km over 12 days.
The train’s 4 coaches are part of a 80 coach (20 train-set x 4 coach) order that Alstom India won in September 2015 after submitting a bid of Rs. 1069.81 crore. Lucknow Metro’s first train was unveiled in early November 2016 and arrived in the city shortly after on November 19. Following an initial round of secretive testing, the train was publicly flagged off on December 1 for commencing the project’s testing phase. The project’s 2nd train arrived in the city on March 25.
Images:
Photo Copyright: LMRCL
Photo Copyright: LMRCL
Photo Copyright: LMRCL
Photo Copyright: LMRCL
Like always, after the coaches were unloaded, a preliminary visual check was performed by LMRC’s engineers. As of April 28, they’ve been coupled together and have started main-line testing along with the other two trains.
The LMRC is expected to receive the next train in early May and although they’ve previously stated the need for 6 trains to start operations on the line’s 8.48 km 1st stretch (Transport Nagar – Charbagh), I’m now hearing they plan to initially launch operations on a long, drawn out schedule using just 4 trains and increase frequency as and when the next set of trains arrive.
For more updates, check out the Lucknow section of The Metro Rail Guy!
– TMRG
Is the delayed delivery of train coaches only reason for launch delay?
Whose fault is this?Is it due to bad planning by LMRC ?
Hi, trains and minor finishing works inside the stations are all that is left.
I don’t know who’s to blame or whether it is warranted. The LMRCL set an ambitious target and a couple of things didn’t quite align well:
1) PIB and Centre’s approval for EIB’s loan to procure the project’s systems (rolling stock, signalling, telecommunication, automated fare collection etc) was not as quick as the LMRCL hoped for.
2) That trickled down to Alstom winning the contract in September 2015 – an entire year after civil work started in Sept 2014. This 1 year timeframe is splendid and a record in itself, but had EIB’s loan approval and the tendering process for trains been conducted earlier, LMRCL would have avoided this unique lack of trains issue. That said, despite other contracts from Kochi and Chennai, Alstom delivered the 1st train in record time and they’re trying their best to speed up deliveries to both Kochi and Lucknow.
Had LMRCL not set an ambitious target and kept their civil contractors on a tight leash, the line would have still been under construction – a major inconvenience to locals. Overall, the reasons for the delay were and are beyond their control.
is all of lucknow metro’s line one under construction ?