The much-awaited coaches of the prototype rake of the Mumbai Metro Line 3 (Aqua line) arrived in Mumbai on Tuesday. According to the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (MMRC), the project implementing authority more four coaches will arrive soon.
As per the MMRC, all eight coaches will be assembled and the train will be formed at the temporary facility of train delivery and testing track area set up at Sariput Nagar in Aarey.
The MMRC official statement further reads that the four trailers, carrying one coach each, reached the city traversing 1,400 km distance from SriCity, Andhra Pradesh in 13 days.
The four coaches, weighing 42-tonne each, were brought by special 8-axel trailers with 64 wheels.
The initial design proving trial runs of the prototype train will be conducted in the 3-km stretch of Mumbai Metro Line-3 tunnel from the temporary facility to Marol Naka Metro Station.
Meanwhile, the construction work of Metro 3 is speeding up after Devendra Fadnavis took charge as deputy chief minister and Eknath Shinde became the Chief Minister of Maharashtra.
In fact, on the first day after both took the oath, Fadnavis declared that the Metro 3 depot will be in Aarey and not at Kanjurmarg, considering the time and money constraints to which the 'Save Aarey' conservation group expressed disappointment and also moved Supreme Court with a contempt petition for tree cutting inside Aarey despite having status quo. The matter is yet to be heard by the court.
According to the MMRC, the track laying work at MIDC, SEEPZ and Siddhivinayak station is 100 per cent complete. Whereas, 90 per cent of Cuffe Parade station is ready as of today. The underground corridor is expecting to see one last breakthrough at Mumbai Central.
The work on 33-km long underground Colaba to Seepz Metro line 3 started in 2016 having a total of 26 underground stations on the entire stretch. The work is still ongoing.
The project has been divided into two phases 1&2. Phase 1 between BKC and Seepz is to be ready by end of 2023 or the beginning of 2024.
