CMRS to inspect Kolkata Metro's New Garia-Ruby Metro Stretch from January 30

(Kolkata Metro File Photo © Metro Rail Today)

Kolkata, India (Metro Rail Today): The Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) has confirmed their date to carry out the safety inspection on 5.4 km New Garia-Ruby stretch of the New Garia-Airport Metro corridor on 30th January 2023. The Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) and Kolkata Metro Railway team jointly conducted a three-round trial run on New Garia-Ruby section on 21st January with the Medha rake clocking a speed of 83 kmph.

 “Our section is now ready for CRS inspection. The train seamlessly covered the five stations in 7 minutes flat,” said a senior official, RVNL.

After a meeting between the Commissioner of Railway Safety, Kolkata Metro Railway and RVNL, a letter was issued on “opening of new permanent broad gauge line of 5.4km (electrified) from Kavi Subhas to Hemanta Mukhopadhyay stations for public carriage of passenger.”

Like the Joka-Taratala Metro Corridor, the truncated New Garia-Ruby section of the 32km Airport-New Garia corridor will also run on the one-train-system, without signals. A single rake will go up and down the line because of the delay in inviting the advanced communication-based train control system (CBTC) signaling system.

On 24th September 2023, the truncated section underwent its maiden train trial with another rake, a non-AC one, borrowed from North-South line’s Noapara carshed. At that time, there were some hiccups as the tracks were not clear and the train had to halt a few times to cover the five stations.

“But the trials with the rake that will be used for passenger services were extremely smooth and we feel absolutely prepared for the CRS inspection,” a Metro Railway official said.

"For the New Garia-Ruby section, we don't need to a spare AC rake because the line shares its depot complex with the Blue Line (North-South corridor)," said a senior RVNL official. "For the Joka-Taratala trials, the rake had to be transported in parts (two coaches for each journey) on trailers all the way from the Noapara carshed because there isn't another functioning carshed next door. Here we have an operating terminal next to the new Kavi Subhas terminal. We just had to remove the buffer between two depots and lay 180 meters of connecting tracks," he added.