Metro rolls in Ahmedabad's west for 1st time

For the first time, a six-coach rake of the metro rail rolled on the tracks in the western part of the city. This pre-trial run was conducted on Friday night, between the Gyaspur depot and Jivraj Park station.

Sources in the Gujarat Metro Rail Corporation said this is the first pre-trial run in the western half of the city and many such runs are to be taken up. "The metro authorities plan to have these pre-trial runs on the entire track of Phase I in Ahmedabad city this August, coinciding with 75 years of Indian Independence and just ahead of the state elections this year."

Officials said the Gyaspur-Jivraj Park stretch is about 2km and has two stations, the APMC Vasna station, from where trains will begin their services, and Jirvaj Park station, the second station on this route.

This is part of the north-south corridor, from APMC Vasna to Motera, which is 18.87km with 15 stations and is completely elevated.

Officials said after the pre-trial, a trial will be conducted by the Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO), Lucknow. Once the track is certified by RDSO, safety trials will be held and free runs will begin after that.

Officials said the authorities aim to have both east-west and north-south corridors ready by April, so they can be certified by RDSO and other agencies.

Officials said that for the rest of the east-west corridor apart from the stretch between Vastral and Apparel Park which is operational laying of tracks and signal installation is going on. The east-west corridor is 21.16km with 17 stations, and connects Vastral Gaam to Thaltej Gaam. It has a 6.5-km underground section with four underground stations.

Officials said work on stations is at the final stage. Phase I will later connect to the Motera-Gandhinagar Phase II stretch, construction of which is underway with work on pillars going on. Phase II connects Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar and ends at Mahatma Mandir, and connects GIFT City and Akshardham.