Kolkata Metro: Current Challenges and Future Upgrades
The Current State of Joka-Esplanade Metro Services
Kolkata’s Joka-Esplanade Metro services are going through a tough time. They need new trains urgently to run smoothly. But there’s good news: officials have said that normal services will start again from Thursday.
What’s Been Happening?
Until early May, the Joka-Majerhat part of the Purple Line used a basic signaling system. It had 18 services with 50-minute gaps, running from 8:55 am to 3:35 pm. After a signaling upgrade on May 9, they added 44 more services. Now, it runs from 8 am to 8 pm.
But even with these upgrades, there are still problems. One train goes up and down the 8-km track, while another stays ready. The hot weather and careful maintenance needs of the trains have slowed things down. They can’t meet the goal of having a train every 24 minutes.
A Recent Problem
On Monday evening, one of the trains (No. 417) broke down. They used the backup train, but instead of 62 services, they could only run 48 with 40-minute gaps.
“The Purple Line train goes about 30 km/h, covering 8 km in 16-17 minutes. It takes 5 more minutes to turn around. That’s a 24-minute gap between trains, which is tight for a train that’s working too much,” an official said.
What’s Next for Kolkata Metro?
Kolkata Metro will get 20 new eight-coach trains in the next 10 months. These will be used for the Purple, Orange (New Garia-Ruby), and Yellow (Noapara-Airport) lines. These lines are ready to grow.
“The Medha trains, made in Chennai’s Integral Coach Factory, have an automatic CBTC signaling system. They should arrive at Kolkata Metro within this financial year,” an official said. Another 37 trains are also ready, but we don’t know when they’ll be sent yet.
Current Trains and Staff
Metro Railway’s fully air-conditioned trains include:
- 31 trains for the Blue (North-South) line
- 3 trains for the Orange line
- 2 trains for the Purple line
- 17 six-coach BEML trains for the Green (East-West Metro) line
“Clearly, that’s not enough for a growing Metro network. There aren’t enough staff either to run the existing 31km North-South (Blue) line smoothly. This line carries 600,000 passengers daily. The East-West Metro carries 100,000 passengers daily,” said Subhasis Sengupta. He is the vice-president of a Metro Railway workers’ union.
Looking Ahead
When the East-West Metro starts its full 16-km route, another 500,000 passengers will use the services every day. On top of this, the Purple and Orange lines are growing, and the Yellow line is set to start.
“Metro just about managed when the Purple Line ran for six hours, with one shift of workers and one train. When the hours doubled, they introduced two shifts, but with limited staff. The system will break down if operations grow without improving infrastructure,” Sengupta added.
