'Pocket Track' of Metro Rail at Begumpet Hyderabad, Oct 1 (INN): Hyderabad Metro Rail MD NVS Reddy inspected the construction of 'pocket track' for Metro Rail corridor-III in front of HPS, Begumpet here on Wednesday. Pocket track is like a loop line laid as a 3rd track in between the two main Metro tracks to accommodate an extra (third) train.
To facilitate laying of the pocket track, the elevated viaduct in front of HPS, Begumpet is built wider (40 ft, when compared to 29 ft of the rest of the viaduct). Unlike the normal piers (pillars), the piers in front of HPS are called 'hammerhead piers' because of their shape as a hammerhead.
Two segments (instead of the normal one segment elsewhere) are accommodated side by side on these hammerhead piers and the two segments are stitched together on top to get the additional width for the viaduct.
The pocket track in front of HPS is about 200 ft long which can accommodate one full length 6 coach train or two 3 coach trains with crossovers on both ends, so that the train that is kept on the pocket track can be taken to any of the two main tracks and run in any direction towards Nagole or Shilparamam.
This pocket track is being built as a special facility either to run special services from mid-point i.e., Begumpet to either Nagole side or Shilparamam side; or to keep extra reserve trains for increasing the train services during peak hours.
This can also be used for stabling of any train that develops technical snag, without disrupting the main Metro train services in both directions. A problematic train can be parked on the pocket track and later taken to Uppal depot during off-peak hours for repairs.
Of the three Metro corridors, corridor-II (JBS-Falaknuma) is not being provided with a pocket track, since it is a shorter line of 15 km. While pocket track is being constructed for corridor-III (Nagole to Shilparamam ' 28 km) at Begumpet, for corridor-I (Miyapur to LB Nagar ' 29 km), it is being constructed between Punjagutta and Irrum Manzil, said NVS Reddy.
News Posted: 1 October, 2014
|