Trial run on Central Secretariat-Badarpur line to begin in ten days; Zamrudpur mishap, RWAs protest forgotten

Metro set to debut on 'corridor of uncertainty'

Trial run on Central Secretariat-Badarpur line to begin in ten days; Zamrudpur mishap, RWAs protest forgotten

The wait is almost over. Delhi Metro trains are all set to roll into two corridors of south Delhi in a few days. A DMRC official told MiD DAY that trial run on Central Secretariat- Badarpur line up to Lajpat Nagar and remaining corridor of Central Secretariat- Gurgaon line would begin in the next ten days.

Right on track: Despite occassional glitches, the Metro appears all set
to keep its Games deadline and connect Central Secretariat to Gurgaon
in a few days. file pic

"By the time work beyond Lajpat Nagar up to Badarpur is completed, we will be able to successfully complete trial runs between Central Secretariat and Lajpat Nagar," said the official.

With the Central Secretariat getting connected to Qutub Minar, the most benefited will be those commuting between and Delhi- Gurgaon. They will now get direct connectivity from Connaught Place to Gurgaon. The Gurgaon- Qutub Minar line was opened in June.

Delhi Metro spokesperson, Anuj Dayal said, "Within the next few days, the trial run on the Qutub and Central Secretariat would begin. The task is almost complete and finishing work is being carried out."u00a0

However, he did not give any specific dates for the opening of the corridor. "It will be opened in August. So, far no date has been worked out," added Dayal.

Always in the news for wrong reasons due to the Zamrudpur incident wherein a Metro flyover crash resulted in the loss of several lives, and the south Delhi RWAs protest over the elevated Metro, the Central Secretariat Badarpur Line is being opened till Lajpat Nagar.

The Zamrudpur incident had delayed the project by almost five months. "But it is not going to miss the Commonwealth Games deadline. We will be able to open the entire stretch by September," said Dayal.

For the 9 km long stretch between Central Secretariat and Lajpat Nagar, four coaches of the standard gauge were lowered by cranes last week to start the trial runs. The Rs 3,603 crore Central Secretariat- Badarpur Line has in all 16 stations on the 20.16 km long stretch.

Bad memories

On the morning of July 13 in 2009, pillar number 67 on the under-construction Central Secretariat-Badarpur line near the Lady Shriram College had given way, and with it the bridge being built collapsed along with the launcher. At least six persons were killed and another 15 injured in the accident. The very next day, six workers were injured as three cranes trying to remove the debris toppled with one of them falling on a row of shops. A launching girder also collapsed along with the cranes.The tragedy occurred when hundreds of Delhi Metro workers and engineers had gathered at the site of the earlier accident overseeing the continuing efforts to remove tonnes of debris. Suddenly, one after another, three cranes collapsed amid a deafening roar, apparently unable to bear the weight of the launching girder, triggering a panic run in Zamrudpur area near Amar Colony in South Delhi.

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