Travelling on Kolkata’s Metro just got safer with authorities launching a new Terrestrial Trunked Radio (TETRA) communication system on the Blue and Yellow Lines on Wednesday.

This new tech will add to the safety aspects, especially for the sections of the lines that run underground. It ensures that train operators and station staff communicate with the central control room instantly and without interruption, even deep inside the tunnels.

According to General Manager P Uday Kumar Reddy, the new system is a “technological milestone” for the city’s metro. It offers a faster response system in case of an emergency, to ensure that everyone on board stays safe, he said.

This upgrade is part of a larger push to modernise the Kolkata Metro and give commuters a world-class transit experience.

According to authorities, the TETRA communication system will help address a significant issue faced by the Kolkata Metro, especially on the Blue Line, where suicides and suicide attempts are a recurring and serious problem.

The Metro has implemented various measures to combat the issue. These include station announcements, posters with helpline numbers, and increasing staff vigilance. The newly built lines, such as the Green Line, are equipped with Platform Screen Doors (PSDs), which act as a physical barrier to prevent people from accessing the tracks. The Blue Line, however, lacks these due to its age and the cost and logistical challenges of retrofitting.

While the TETRA communication system does not prevent a person from jumping, it ensures that rescue and recovery operations can be coordinated more effectively and quickly, minimising the service disruption time for all commuters, officials said.

Metro officials have integrated it with the existing systems on the Purple and Orange Lines, creating a single, robust network across four of the city’s key Metro routes.

The project was supplied and implemented by Motorola Solutions and includes a variety of new equipment, from handheld radios to units in the train cabs.