Trial run on Magenta Line held for media

A trial run for the media was held on Delhi Metro's Magenta Line on Friday, after a driverless train rammed through a wall during the trial run three days ago. The corridor, which will reduce travel time between south Delhi and Noida to 19 minutes, will be using the Communication Based Train Control System (CBTC) for the first time, and will be thrown open to public at 5 pm on Monday, after inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The 12.6 km line between Botanical Garden and Kalkaji Mandir, with nine stations en route, is being touted as an engineering marvel by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC). Among the many firsts are glass gates and screen doors at all nine platforms, a feature used only on the Airport Line till now.

The Magenta Line, which will run through stations such as Okhla Bird Sanctuary, Kalindi Kunj, Jasola Vihar, and Kalkaji Mandir, will also be the first ever interchange station in the National Capital Region outside Delhi. Trains chugging on the route will have backrests for those standing, with colourful seats adding to the decor. A departure from the drab grey in all trains, women's coach on the Magenta Line trains will be bright pink while seats in general coaches will be painted orange and blue. Red is the colour for reserved seats in general coaches.

Trains will run at a frequency of 5 minutes and 14 seconds. A total of 10 trains will be pressed into service and two more trains (one each at Kalkaji Mandir and Botanical Garden) will be kept on standby for peak hours' traffic. One of the engineering challenges that the DMRC handled was the tunnel work between Kalkaji Mandir and Okhla NSIC, using the New Austrian Tunneling Method (NATM) .

The tunnel between Kalkaji Mandir and NSIC Okhla passes below piers 135 and 136 of the Violet Line and the distance between the two piers is 28 metres, making it difficult to construct twin tunnels within such a short space. Hence, the DMRC decided to construct a single tube twin tunnel through which both tracks could pass using the NATM technology.

MORE ON MAGENTA

• The corridor will use the Communication based Train Control System for the first time.
   
• The line will reduce travel time between south Delhi and Noida to 19 minutes.
   
• It will open to public from 5 pm on Monday.
   
• It is a 12.6 km line between Botanical Garden and Kalkaji Mandir.