Maharashtra: Pre-trial runs of Metro rake begin on Vanaz priority route

PUNE: The Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MahaMetro) has started pretrial runs of the Metro rake on the Vanaz-Garware College priority stretch.
The first run of the rake mounted on the viaduct was held on Thursday night, on kilometre-long stretch from Vanaz depot to Anandnagar station.
Vanaz-Garware College is the second priority stretch, with the Pimpri-Dapodi section of the PCMC-Swargate line being the other. This also would be the second stretch to host trials after the Pimpri-Dapodi section.
MahaMetro officials said there were pre-trial runs aimed to checking technical parameters. The actual trials will begin in a few days, officials said.
“Preparations for the official trial run are underway. We started with the pre-trials from Thursday. We are checking all the parameters essential to the official trial run. The entry and exit of the rake from the depot is a crucial part of this. Our team is inspecting all technical parameters,” said Hemant Sonawane, general manager (PR), MahaMetro.
Initially, the rake ran slow over the one-kilometre stretch. “No major hiccups were reported,” an official said.
Officials said that the entire viaduct on the 5 km Vanaz-Garware College stretch was recently completed. Work had been pending at two spots — near the Paud Phata flyover on Karve Road and near Shivtirthnagar on Paud Road. The rake run towards Garware College station in a phased manner, officials said.
MahaMetro has also expedited construction of the stations on this priority stretch — Vanaz, Anandnagar, Ideal Colony, Nal Stop and Garware College.
A source said MahaMetro was keen on completing all the work on at least one stretch by August 15. The work on Pimpri-Dapodi stretch is at an advanced stage; two stations are nearly complete, and trials conducted so far have been successful, the source said.