Trial Runs Begin on Kanpur Metro’s Underground Section to Nayaganj
Historic day! Uttar Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation (UPMRC) today started trial runs (train testing) on 23.785 km Kanpur Metro Line-1‘s underground section between MacRobertganj Ramp and Nayaganj Station.
This milestone of Kanpur Metro’s Phase 1 project comes just four months after Gulermak – Sam India Builtwell JV’s Terratec tunnel boring machine Tatya (S92) recorded the 8th & final tunnel breakthrough for 3.62 km underground package KNPCC-05.
From the operational Motijheel Station, UPMRC’s team manually operated one of their Alstom MOVIA train-sets at a low-speed on the up-line down MacRobertganj Ramp in Permat towards Nayaganj Station.
To facilitate the run, installation on the line’s 750 V DC Third Rail system was completed on Wednesday and charged up on Thursday.
As always, the sole objective of the first run was to check for Schedule of Dimensions (SOD) clearances and observe the train’s interaction with the civil structure to ensure there are no physical obstructions along the way.
If you look closely in the image below, UPMRC had taped styrofoam blocks onto the train’s bodyshell to prevent damage.
This section of Kanpur Metro’s Package KNPCC-05 was built by Gulermak – Sam India Builtwell JV through a Rs. 1042.26 crore civil construction contract awarded in March 2021 with a 36 month deadline.
The consortium had deployed two Terratec EPB machines – TBM Tatya (S92) and TBM Nana (S93) – to build eight tunnels connecting MacRobertsganj Ramp – Chunniganj Station – Naveen Market Station – Bada Chauraha Station and Nayaganj Station.
In the coming weeks, various subsystems like the signaling system, also provided by Alstom, will be tested. The train’s response to being operated at different speeds & braking will be monitored along with the behavior of the track system installed by Larsen & Toubro (Package KNPAGT-3) and Third Rail system installed by Sterling & Wilson – GSC JV (Package KNPE-1 & 2).
UPMRC hasn’t publicly announced a plan or deadline for operationalizing this underground section, but I imagine they will include the important Kanpur Central Station within their plan to provide connectivity to the Indian Railways. Twin tunnels between Nayaganj and Kanpur Central of Package KNPCC-06 were recently completed by Afcons Infrastructure’s TBMs Vidyarthi (S-639B) and TBM Azad (S-640B).
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– TMRG
What about UPMRC, in your opinion, allows them to complete projects at this pace which other operators in the country have struggled to match?
It’s really a mix of higher/better state government interest + inter-administrative coordination + site conditions. The first influences and motivates the second making the third easier for contractors.