15 years on, 300 Delhi Metro coaches to fight ‘midlife crisis’
Sidharatha Roy | TNN | Feb 9, 2019, 00:56 IST
DMRC will primarily focus on floor repair, section connecting two coaches, painting and suspension.NEW DELHI: Delhi Metro started operations in 2002 and nearly 300 coaches inducted in its first phase have completed a decade and a half of service — half of their 30-year lifespan. Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) is now going to take steps to equip these coaches to deal with their ‘midlife crisis’.
As part of the overhaul, DMRC will primarily focus on floor repair, section connecting two coaches, painting and suspension. The refurbishment will ensure that the old coaches can be used efficiently for the next 15 years, said a DMRC spokesperson.
The first batch had 70 four-coach trains, which are primarily deployed on Red (Dilshad Garden-Rithala) and Blue (Dwarka-Vaishali/Noida City Centre) lines. With the coaches having run non-stop, a major overhauling is necessary, said the spokesperson.
One of the major refurbishment activities will be in the gangway, the partition between two coaches that have seen the most damage. “These 70 trains have 420 gangways. The overhaul includes 100% fabric and bellow replacement, cleaning and anti-corrosion measures,” the spokesperson said.
While DMRC will repair the flooring of many trains, 40 coaches require complete floor replacement. “The floor of these coaches have been irreparably damaged and the replacement has been planned with the help of the original car builder,” he said. DMRC will also replace 1,120 secondary suspensions in all trains.
The interiors of all these coaches will sport a new look, too, thanks to a paint job. “The 280 coaches will get a fresh layer of special water-based paint,” the official added.
“The whole process of refurbishment will take 20 to 24 months. However, much will depend upon train requirement for meeting the ridership demand, which is expected to surge due to opening of the new section up to Ghaziabad New Bus Adda — an extension of Red Line where most of these coaches are deployed,” the spokesperson said.
At present, DMRC has a fleet of 2,206 coaches, which will undergo periodical preventive checks. These are carried out at 12 maintenance depots and workshops spread across the metro network.
As part of the overhaul, DMRC will primarily focus on floor repair, section connecting two coaches, painting and suspension. The refurbishment will ensure that the old coaches can be used efficiently for the next 15 years, said a DMRC spokesperson.
The first batch had 70 four-coach trains, which are primarily deployed on Red (Dilshad Garden-Rithala) and Blue (Dwarka-Vaishali/Noida City Centre) lines. With the coaches having run non-stop, a major overhauling is necessary, said the spokesperson.
One of the major refurbishment activities will be in the gangway, the partition between two coaches that have seen the most damage. “These 70 trains have 420 gangways. The overhaul includes 100% fabric and bellow replacement, cleaning and anti-corrosion measures,” the spokesperson said.
While DMRC will repair the flooring of many trains, 40 coaches require complete floor replacement. “The floor of these coaches have been irreparably damaged and the replacement has been planned with the help of the original car builder,” he said. DMRC will also replace 1,120 secondary suspensions in all trains.
The interiors of all these coaches will sport a new look, too, thanks to a paint job. “The 280 coaches will get a fresh layer of special water-based paint,” the official added.
“The whole process of refurbishment will take 20 to 24 months. However, much will depend upon train requirement for meeting the ridership demand, which is expected to surge due to opening of the new section up to Ghaziabad New Bus Adda — an extension of Red Line where most of these coaches are deployed,” the spokesperson said.
At present, DMRC has a fleet of 2,206 coaches, which will undergo periodical preventive checks. These are carried out at 12 maintenance depots and workshops spread across the metro network.
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