Summary:
We got the RDSO certification in just nine months,” Anup Kumar Kundu, rolling stock director of Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation (KMRC) told TOI on Thursday. KOLKATA: The East-West Metro’s Sector V-Salt Lake stadium section has received the Research Design and Standards Organisation’s (RDSO) clearance.The RDSO approval for operational procedures, formally called the “interim speed certificate” for running the East-West trains at a maximum of 80kmph, came on Tuesday.The speed certificate for the standard-gauge six-coach rakes, manufactured by Bengaluru-based PSU BEML, is one of the most significant statutory approvals for the commercial operations of the Metro due this year.“This is a major milestone for East-West Metro. KMRC has been conducting rigorous trial runs ever since. The first BEML-make arrived on 24 April. In between, there will be a need to acquire the Railway Board’s nod, for which no test will be required.Meanwhile, East-West Metro will get an Independent Safety Assessment (ISA) clearance from ‘Certifier’, a third party assessment body from France.“Once CRS clears the section, East-West Metro will be able to start commercial operations,” an official said, adding, “But the CRS has stringent guidelines that must be adhered to.”RDSO is a ministry of railways organization that tests technical aspects of new railway or metro projects..