Kolkata: Metro Railway has started preparations to shift its stabling yard from Blue Line's Kavi Subhash terminal to Tollygunge metro station. Once this is done, N-S Line operations will be smoother as at least eight rakes will be fed directly into the system from Tollygunge, and it will be possible to maintain accurate timetables.
Ever since the indefinite closure of the former Kavi Subhash terminal at New Garia on July 28, followed by the commencement of entire operations along the East-West Metro or Green Line (which interfaces with the Blue Line at Esplanade) and the Noapara-Airport or Yellow Line that branches out from Blue Line's Noapara station on Aug 25, Blue Line timetables went for a toss.
On steps to address crowding on Blue Line, Metro decided that the old Tollygunge carshed, out of use for 15 years, will be restored in next few weeks.
Eight rakes can be parked in the facility. "Efforts are on to develop the maintenance-cum-carshed facility at Tollygunge before puja," an official said.
Metro intends to run one out of every three services from Dakshineswar and Noapara to Tollygunge. Conversely, two rakes from the northern side may go up to Khudiram, and the third will end at Tollygunge. "To maintain this schedule and 6-minute peak hour and 8-minute non-rush hour frequencies, rakes are to be injected from both Noapara and Tollygunge stations," an official said. Since July 28, a number of rakes are short-terminated at Tollygunge.
But this is done at random, without following a scheduled timetable.