17 November,2016 12:00 PM IST | | Shashank Rao
AC trains are finally on track -- literally! Central Railways authorities have decided to begin its first trial run in December. Sources claim that the static trials are underway at the Kurla car shed
The first AC local, at the Kurla car shed, is undergoing static trials now. Pics/Pradeep Dhivar
AC trains are finally on track -- literally! Central Railways authorities have decided to begin its first trial run in December. Sources claim that the static trials -- in which technical and mechanical tests are carried out on an unmoving train -- are underway at the Kurla car shed.
"Three to four trials are pending. From the first week of December, we are looking forward to running this train on tracks to conduct some more tests," said a CR official.
The air-conditioned train was brought to the city in May this year, but due to several technical glitches, the trial runs didn't take off. The official said, "At first there was the issue with the AC itself as the load and circuits differed. Then, the train's height posed an issue."
Interiors of the AC coaches ow. pics/Pradeep Dhivar
After addressing the faults, the first phase of static trials began on November 3. An official said, "There are 11 steps in a static trial, where the electrical mechanisms and functioning of the coaches and synchronisation of machines are checked. So far, eight steps have been completed."
Dynamic trial runs in Thane
The dynamic trials -- in which the trains are made to run on tracks -- are those in which the oscillation and movement of trains are checked.
These trials are likely to take place along the Thane-Karjat/Kasara stretch and authorities will check the balance of the trains at steep curves. "Some curves in this section are 30 degrees, so we make sure to run any new rolling stock in these sections to decipher if a train is able due endure these curves at high speeds without derailing," the CR official said while speaking to mid-day.
These trials will be conducted in the presence of the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS), who personally overlooks each and every run. Also several bags of stones and sand will be placed inside the coaches to check its tolerance level in case it ferries high crushing density in terms of weight of passengers.
Goods train derails in Kurla
A goods train derailed today at Kurla affecting local rail services on the Harbour Line here, officials said. The derailment took place in the wee hours around 3 am, when the train was negotiating a crossover at Kurla. "Since we have a Road Accident Relief Train at Kurla it was immediately pressed in to service and track was cleared quickly," said senior PRO of Central Railway AK Jain, adding that no services were disrupted.
