Metro 4 to be first line to begin operations sans a depot
In the absence of a ready depot at Mogharpada, the Maha Mumbai Metro Operation Corporation Limited (MMMOCL) has floated a ₹8.28-crore tender for the transportation of 8 six-coach trains, or 48 coaches in all, from Mandale to the Metro 4 viaduct between Gaimukh and Cadbury Junction and back.
This workaround comes as the Mogharpada depot, which was intended to serve Mumbai Metro 4 and its extension Mumbai Metro 4A, is facing construction delays. An official said that this was the first time in Mumbai's metro history that rakes would be physically transported from one corridor to another, given the lack of rail connectivity between Metro 2B and Metro 4.
Since the two corridors are not linked by tracks, the rakes will be hauled over city roads using hydraulic multi-axle trailers, each carrying one coach weighing about 40 tonnes. The operation will be conducted primarily at night to avoid traffic congestion and will require permissions from multiple civic and traffic authorities.
Officials said the tender includes the entire scope of work such as dismantling coaches if needed, loading and unloading, securing permissions, transit insurance and safe delivery of the rakes to the destination. The contract period is 24 months, extendable by 12 months, depending on when the Mogharpada depot becomes functional.
'We are making optimal use of idle rakes from Metro 2B to ensure that trial runs on Metro 4 are not delayed,' said a senior official, requesting anonymity, 'Waiting for the depot to be ready would have pushed commissioning timelines further.'
MMMOCL is also exploring temporary inspection facilities beyond Gaimukh metro station, where basic trial runs can be conducted on elevated tracks. The testing will include rolling stock integration with signalling, telecom, and traction systems.
The rakes intended for Metro 2B, which is still under construction, are currently lying unused at the Mandale depot. Hence, the authorities took a decision to divert these trains to serve Metro 4 and 4A for the time being, until Metro 2B becomes operational in the next year or two. Metro 2B is in the works between Mandale and Andheri West.
Once ready, the 32-km Mumbai Metro 4 line is expected to significantly decongest the Eastern Express Highway and improve east-west connectivity across Mumbai and Thane. The corridor is designed to cater to high ridership volumes and provide an alternative to overburdened suburban rail services.
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Hindustan Times
20 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Metro 4 to be first line to begin operations sans a depot
MUMBAI: The upcoming Mumbai Metro 4 corridor—connecting Gaimukh in Thane to Wadala in Mumbai—will be the city's first metro line to begin operations without a dedicated depot. To enable trials and system testing, rakes meant for Mumbai Metro Line 2B will be temporarily brought in from the Mandale depot in Mankhurd. Once ready, the 32-km Mumbai Metro 4 line is expected to significantly decongest the Eastern Express Highway and improve east-west connectivity across Mumbai and Thane. (Praful Gangurde /HT Photo) In the absence of a ready depot at Mogharpada, the Maha Mumbai Metro Operation Corporation Limited (MMMOCL) has floated a ₹8.28-crore tender for the transportation of 8 six-coach trains, or 48 coaches in all, from Mandale to the Metro 4 viaduct between Gaimukh and Cadbury Junction and back. This workaround comes as the Mogharpada depot, which was intended to serve Mumbai Metro 4 and its extension Mumbai Metro 4A, is facing construction delays. An official said that this was the first time in Mumbai's metro history that rakes would be physically transported from one corridor to another, given the lack of rail connectivity between Metro 2B and Metro 4. Since the two corridors are not linked by tracks, the rakes will be hauled over city roads using hydraulic multi-axle trailers, each carrying one coach weighing about 40 tonnes. The operation will be conducted primarily at night to avoid traffic congestion and will require permissions from multiple civic and traffic authorities. Officials said the tender includes the entire scope of work such as dismantling coaches if needed, loading and unloading, securing permissions, transit insurance and safe delivery of the rakes to the destination. The contract period is 24 months, extendable by 12 months, depending on when the Mogharpada depot becomes functional. 'We are making optimal use of idle rakes from Metro 2B to ensure that trial runs on Metro 4 are not delayed,' said a senior official, requesting anonymity, 'Waiting for the depot to be ready would have pushed commissioning timelines further.' MMMOCL is also exploring temporary inspection facilities beyond Gaimukh metro station, where basic trial runs can be conducted on elevated tracks. The testing will include rolling stock integration with signalling, telecom, and traction systems. The rakes intended for Metro 2B, which is still under construction, are currently lying unused at the Mandale depot. Hence, the authorities took a decision to divert these trains to serve Metro 4 and 4A for the time being, until Metro 2B becomes operational in the next year or two. Metro 2B is in the works between Mandale and Andheri West. Once ready, the 32-km Mumbai Metro 4 line is expected to significantly decongest the Eastern Express Highway and improve east-west connectivity across Mumbai and Thane. The corridor is designed to cater to high ridership volumes and provide an alternative to overburdened suburban rail services.
Hindustan Times
a day ago
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Fauja Singh, 114-yr-old marathon runner from Punjab, killed in road accident
Fauja Singh, the 114-year-old legendary marathon runner from Punjab and the UK, died at a private hospital in Jalandhar on Monday evening. Fauja Singh(HT File) He was reportedly hit by an unidentified vehicle around 3.30 in the afternoon when he was crossing the road in his village Beas. 'My Turbaned Tornado is no more,' Chandigarh-based author Khushwant Singh posted on Facebook, referring to the title of Fauja Singh's biography that he wrote. 'It is heartbreaking to learn that he lost his life today in a tragic road accident,' Punjab governor Gulab Chand Kataria said. Khushwant shared a video tribute too. Started running marathons at 89 Fauja Singh said he was born on April 1, 1911. He could not walk until he was five years old, his biography noted. He grew up to become an amateur runner but Partition of India disrupted his life much as it did for lakhs of others in the region. After a number of his family members died in accidents and otherwise, he returned to running as means to overcome depression. Having migrated to England in the 1990s to live with one of his sons, at 89 years of age, he seriously returned to running and competed in age-group international marathons. 'Will continue to inspire' 'Even at the age of 114, he continued to inspire generations with his strength and commitment. I had the honour of walking alongside him during the two-day 'Nasha Mukt: Rangla Punjab' march from his village Beas, district Jalandhar, in December 2024. Even then, his presence infused the movement with unparalleled energy and spirit,' Kataria added. His legacy, he said, would live on in the hearts of those fighting for a healthier, and drug-free Punjab. 'My heartfelt condolences to his family and admirers across the globe. May his soul attain eternal peace,' the governor's message read.
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Hindustan Times
Delhiwale: Nizamuddin East's vanished five
Delhi city's Nizamuddin East colony is home to the rich and celebrated, including a filmmaker whose son is likely to become New York City's next mayor. Her tiptop terrace has a view of Humayun's Tomb as well as Rahim's Tomb. Indeed, almost every upper-story apartment in Nizamuddin East has a view of at least one of these two historical tombs (see photo). Some houses show both these tombs. A few show one more--the so-called Barber's Tomb. A very few show all the three--plus the Neela Gumbad tomb! Nearly every upper-floor apartment in Nizamuddin East overlooks at least one of these two historic tombs (as seen in the photo). (HT Photo) Not many people however are aware—not even 'Niz East' wale!— that Nizamuddin East itself stands on the site of vanished monuments. This is a truth confirmed by Ratish Nanda of Aga Khan Trust for Culture, that has been actively involved with restoration projects in the much larger Hazrat Nizamuddin area. This afternoon, at his office in Sunder Nursery garden, he takes out his worn copy of Maulvi Zafar Hasan's Monuments of Delhi: Lasting Splendours of the Great Mughals and Others. Published in 1916, the book lists hundreds of monument, some of which has now vanished. Ratish Nanda points out five disappeared monuments that stood where Nizamuddin East is. First vanished monument The square-shaped tomb stood on a stone platform. Each side had a doorway, topped by a latticed window. The identity of the grave was a mystery. Second vanished monument It too was a tomb, its identity too a mystery. The dome had collapsed by the time the book was written. The grave too was gone. Third vanished monument It was the stone gateway to a walled garden. The garden was named after a man called Fazil Khan. Fourth vanished monument This stone gateway marked either the entry to an extinct tomb, or to an extinct garden. It too has gone unsung. Fifth vanished monument This was a major monument, and stood on a hillock. It was the tomb of Darab Khan, a son of poet Rahim—the same Rahim whose grand tomb continues to grace Nizamuddin East. By the time the book was written, the central dome of Darab Khan's makbara had already collapsed, the debris choking up parts of the edifice. That said, the monument's total erasure is a profound loss. (While Darab Khan was lucky to have his own tomb, nobody would want his fate. The poor man was beheaded by a Mughal general, who wrapped the severed head in a cloth and sent it to his father, Rahim, as 'the present of a melon.')
