Mumbai: When Aaditya Thackeray, a former minister in the MVA government and the leader of Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena made a statement that metro trains do not go to the car shed every night but once in two to three months for maintenance, many did consider it to be true.
Aaditya has been voicing against the metro Carshed at Aarey, for a long time now. And every Sunday since the new Government led by Eknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis came in, there has been a protest at the picnic spot against the Aarey metro car shed.
Yesterday during the protest, while talking to the media, Aaditya made the above statement.
So to confirm what Aaditya Thackeray said is true or not, whether metro trains have to be sent to the car shed once in two to three months or they need a regular visit to the car shed, we called E Sreedharan.
For those unaware, E Sreedharan is the metro man of India, a Padma awardee, he is the last word on Metro rail. He is the man behind the successful Delhi Metro.
We asked Metro Man, whether a metro rail car needs to visit the car shed once in two to three months and not regularly?
The prompt reply came, “If there is a big network of metro rail then, it needs a daily visit and if small then once in two days. This visit is for safety certification, post which these trains can ply.”
According to Sreedharan, the statement that a metro rail car needs to go to a car shed once in two to three months is ‘all wrong’.
Sreedharan says for stabling the metro car rake too, they need to visit the metro car shed regularly not all rakes can be stabilised on the main line.
In his words, the car shed is the ‘brain centre’ for the safety and operation of a metro rail.
So when one says metro rail cars have to visit the car shed once in two to three months what is it? According to Sreedharan, there are two kinds of overhaul, where every aspect of the metro rail cars are checked.
First one is a Periodic Overhaul (POH) which takes place once in two-three years and the second one is Intermediate Overhaul (IOH), which takes place once in two-three months.
One thing is confirmed that is metro rail cars for a bigger network needs a Carshed where the cars can go and be checked daily and for smaller networks at least once in two to three days.
Sreedharan says, “Mumbai Metro should have a car shed preferably either at the end or middle of the line. Aarey Milk Colony is an ideal location for Mumbai Metro.”
According to Sreedharan when he was advising Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (MMRCL) it was he who suggested Aarey spot for a car shed. “I had to convince then CM Devendra Fadnavis, he was a bit reluctant but when I made him understand why Aarey, he agreed,” he said.
Sreedharan has a piece of advice for the environmentalist too, he says, “Those protesting should understand that even with the car shed the place can be kept green and people need to think about the economy too.”
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