Metro starts inspection of E-W’s Esp-Sealdah stretch
Times of India | 3 March 2025
12 Kolkata: Metro Railway has started inspecting the East-West Metro's upcoming Esplanade-Sealdah section to compile a status report of the stretch. Submitting the documents on the readiness of the new section is a prerequisite for a Commission of Railway Safety (CRS) inspection.
CRS is the autonomous body under the civil aviation ministry that gives the mandatory safety approval for revenue operations of any new Metro line across India. Metro Railway, which operates Kolkata's rapid transit system, began inspecting the last 2.6 km leg of the East-West Metro on Thursday.
Guided by Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation, the implementing agency of the Rs 10,000 crore East-West Metro corridor, which is now veered toward its full 16.6 km run between Sector V and Howrah Maidan, Metro Railway must furnish documents with minute details of the status of the new section.
East-West Metro now functions in two disjointed truncated sections: 9.2 km Sealdah-Sector V and 4.8 km Esplanade-Howrah Maidan — because the 2.6 km stretch linking Sealdah and Esplanade is incomplete.
TOI reported on Friday that Metro Railway is eyeing a Poila Baishakh (April 15) launch for the last leg.
Sources said Metro Railway wants to invite the CRS to inspect the new stretch around the month-end. "You could call this (Metro Railway's survey) the penultimate inspection ahead of the CRS visit for commissioning the last section," an engineer said.
Over the new few weeks, engineers will inspect the Sector V-bound and Howrah-bound tracks, electrification, and other facilities in the new section. A comprehensive report is also required to be submitted to the CRS on the upgradation of the automatic signalling system's (communication-based train control) software in the 12 East-West Metro stations.
Only when it is satisfied with the reports submitted by Metro Railway, CRS will visit the section and conduct its own trial runs.
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