Title - Jaipur Metro clears first stage of safety clearances

JAIPUR: The Jaipur Metro project on Monday cleared the first stage of safety clearances with the Railway ministry's approval for the 'schedule of dimensions' (SOD).

In his letter to chief minister Ashok Gehlot, Railway minister Mallikarjun Kharge approved the 'schedule of dimensions' (SOD) for the project, said an official at the chief minister's office.

Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) general Manager, Atul Gadgill said, "We have cleared the first and most important stage of safety certification. We are expecting other clearances for traction system (overhead electrical system) and rolling stock within another 15 days."

Sources in the department said that for the past three months, the DMRC and Jaipur Metro Rail Corporation (JMRC) were trying hard to get the first approval.

Explaining the process of certification, an official said that once the Research Design and Standards Organization (RDSO), Lucknow examines the designs, it is sent to the Railway Board for approval. After that, the final safety certification is required by the commissioner of railway safety (CMRS).

As the deadline for running the Metro is approaching fast, the Jaipur Metro project needs safety certification by the commissioner of railway safety (CMRS) and clearances from the Research Design and Standards Organization (RDSO) under a Metro Act.

According to officials, the certification involves various agencies and it takes at least a month to check all the safety and operational parameters. Once the design and other clearances are given, the oscillation trials are conducted physically.

An official said, "A series of trials will be conducted by RDSO to check train performance on the track under various load capacities and speeds and then compared with design values."

During the trials, the train will be tested at different speeds to measure the lateral and vertical acceleration (wobbling of coaches) at different locations. The trial runs will be crucial as a sharp curve of 120 metre radius has been constructed by the DMRC for the first time in the countrty. "As both the curves are near the metro stations, it will not be a major problem in clearing the speed test," an official added.