Good news on E-W Metro front as empty rakes travel through Bowbazar cave-in zone
Times of India | 17 January 2024
Kolkata: After 10 months, Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation (KMRC) on Monday managed to transport empty rakes through the Bowbazar cave-in zone, clearing the final hurdle in commissioning the East-West Metro’s under-river operations between Esplanade and Howrah Maidan. Four rakes were moved on the newly laid tracks in certain sections of the eastward tunnel in both directions.
The train transportation that started around 10 pm on Monday went on till 3 am on Tuesday. Two rakes that have been undergoing trials in the Esplanade-Howrah Maidan section since April last year were taken from Howrah Maidan station for a thorough maintenance at Salt Lake’s Central Park depot. Two other rakes from the depot were driven till Sealdah and beyond through the problematic 2.5km Sealdah-Esplanade section for deployment of trials henceforth.
Unlike the last time, the BEML rakes from Howrah Maidan (numbers 12 and 13) and those from Salt Lake maintenance depot (number 8 and 10) were driven by electricity generated by the third rail and not by a battery-powered locomotive. The third rail in the eastward tunnel of the subsidence-prone Sealdah-Esplanade section was charged on Monday morning. KMRC, which is implementing the 16km East-West Metro corridor, and is trying to open a truncated 4.8km Esplanade-Howrah Maidan section via river Hooghly, conducted the “test transportation” of rakes.
It will send a report to CRS and invite another safety inspection. All hopes for East-West Metro’s under-river launch hinge on seamless transportation of empty rake because the CRS, in its December 15-18 inspection, had pointed this being the number one condition that needs to be fulfilled for the under-river operations.