The underground metro tunnel is slithering towards the Kalupur Railway station, where there will be integration of the bullet train, the railways and the Metro rail. Ahmedabad's Metroman IP Gautam said the Metro service will begin next January 2019.
"The work is progressing fast. Coaches of the Metro will be made by December and a trial run will start next January. The priority of the project is to finish the stretch between Vastral and Apparel Park first. Work is complete at Apparel Park depot and will be ready for operations by October," said Gautam, MD, MEGA (Metro Link Express for Gandhinagar Ahmedabad).
There is a 6.5 km of underground section in the East-West corridor for which tract construction work has begun.
"Tunnel Boring Machines (TBM) are working for the underground network. Three machines are already being used and a forth one has started working from Thursday. A half-kilometre tunnel has already been bored," said Gautam.
Most of the underground work is taking place in the walled part of city which is now inscribed as the World Heritage City by UNESCO. To keep distance and make the structure intact, the underground work is taking place 20 mt below the surface.
"We have surveyed all the structures above our route. Some of them are at risk. So far, a hundred families have been shifted. We will have to shift to another hundred families. We are bearing all the expense of their living," added the MD.
Metro coaches to arrive next month
Finally, a good news for those who are wondering how the coaches will look like. A half-size coach, furnished, would be brought to the city by September. The coach will be displayed for the public.
Integration of Bullet, Metro and Railway
Platform 12 of Kalupur Railway station will be integrated with the Bullet train, Metro and the existing rail. The Bullet train will be 18 mt above the surface while the Metro' will run 18 mtr below the surface.
