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Kolkata Metro

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Kolkata Metro
कोलकाता मेट्रो
কলকাতা মেট্রো
File:Kolmetrologo.gif
Overview
LocaleIndia Kolkata, India
Transit typeRapid transit
Number of lines1 in operation, 2 under construction, 2 announced
Number of stations23 (15 under ground, 2 on surface and 6 elevated)
Websitewww..mtp.indianrailways.gov.in/
Operation
Began operation1984
Operator(s)Metro Railway, Kolkata (under Central Government Ministry of Railways)
Technical
System length25 km
Track gauge5 feet 6 inch Broad Gauge
Electrification750V DC through third rail

The Kolkata Metro or Calcutta Metro (Bengali: কলকাতা মেট্রো Kolkata Meṭro) is the Underground Mass Rapid Transit Urban Railway network in Kolkata (formerly, Calcutta), India. It was the first underground railway to be built in India, with the first operations commencing in October, 1984 and the full stretch that was initially planned being operational by February, 1995. On 28 December 2010, it became the 17th zone of the Indian Railways.[1] The New Delhi Metro, which opened in 2002, is the second such urban metro rail network in India. However, being the country’s first, and a completely indigenous process, the construction of the Kolkata Metro was more of a trial-and-error affair, in contrast to the Delhi Metro, which has seen the involvement of numerous international consultants. As a result, it took nearly 23 years to completely construct a 17 km underground railway.

The line runs from Dum Dum in the north and continues south through Park Street, Esplanade in the heart of the city till the southern end to New Garia, the station bearing the name Kavi Subhash.

History

Before independence, there was a plan by the British to construct an underground railway in Kolkata. After independence, the burgeoning transport problem of Kolkata drew the attention of the city planners, the State Government and also the Government of India. It was soon realised that something had to be done and done quickly to cope with the situation. Bidhan Chandra Roy, at that time the Chief Minister of West Bengal, conceived the idea in 1949 of building an underground railway for Kolkata to solve the problems to some extent. A survey was done by a team of French experts without any concrete results. Efforts to solve the problem by augmenting the existing fleet of public transport vehicles barely touched the fringe of the problem as the roads account for only 4.2% of the surface area in Calcutta, compared to 25% in Delhi and even 30% in other cities.[2]

With a view to finding an alternative solution, the Metropolitan Transport Project (Rlys) (i.e., Railways) was set up in 1973. After detailed studies, the MTP (Rlys) came to the conclusion that there was no other alternative but to construct a Mass Rapid Transit System. The MTP (Rlys) had prepared a Master Plan in 1971 envisaging construction of five rapid-transit lines for the city of Kolkata, totalling a route length of 97.5 km. Of these, the highest priority was given to the busy North-South axis between Dum Dum and Mahanayak Uttam Kumar (Tollygunge) over a length of 16.45 km, and the work on this project was sanctioned on June 1, 1972. The foundation stone of the project was laid by Smt. Indira Gandhi, the then Prime Minister of India, on December 29, 1972, and the construction work started in 1973.

At first, 5 lines were planned, but finally 3 selected. Those were -

Since the commencement of construction, the project had to contend with several problems, such as the unavailability of sufficient funds till 1977-78, relocation of underground utilities, court injunctions, an irregular supply of vital materials, and so on. The laying of the founding stone was done in 1972, but actual construction of line 1 started only in 1978. Line 1 is 17 km. long with 17 stations (see above). Running of the first metro car on the line by 1984 was considered a great engineering challenge.Former railways minister A. B. A. Ghani Khan Chowdhury took a massive effort to perform it. The first section opened between Esplanade & Bhowanipore (Now called Netaji Bhawan). First day Metro Railway Kolkata were started by Sri Tapan Kumar Nath and Sri Sanjay Sil. There were no connections of this stretch with the two depots at Dum Dum & Tollygunge(Now called Mahanayak Uttam Kumar). So metro cars had to be put down on the track near Esplanade by crane, by directly digging the road surface. Initially, only four car trains were run until 1986. There were no magnetic gates or escalators at that time and ordinary revolving gates served as exits. The Metro too operated on only a single line. Two years later, line 1 extended up to Tollygunge, at the southern end. At the same time, the metro service was extended to the double line. Magnetic tickets and more entry gates were also introduced at that time. The number of compartments in each train was increased to eight.

Metro service was also started from Dum Dum, at the northern end, to Belgachhia in parallel with the extension of the line to the south. But this short portion was not popular and the service was closed down to be restarted when the entire stretch along the north-south corridor was completed.

After 1986, many political incidents hampered the construction, and work almost stopped for nearly six years. After restarting work, the Dum Dum to Shyambazar metro service was started in 1994. This portion was served by four car trains. Two months later, the Esplanade - Chandni Chowk section was opened, and Chandni Chowk - Central section opened three months later. The service from Dum Dum to Tollygunge started in 1995, with Mahatma Gandhi Road Station, being opened in 1996. During this time, more magnetic gates and escalators were added and the revolving gates were slowly phased out.

Timeline

  • October 24, 1984: Esplanade - Bhowanipur (now Netaji Bhaban) (3.4 km)
  • November 12, 1984: Dum Dum - Belgachhia (2.15 km)
  • April 29, 1986: Bhowanipur (now Netaji Bhaban) - Tollygunge (now Mahanayak Uttam Kumar) (4.25 km)
  • August 13, 1994: Dum Dum - Shyambazar (3.8 km)
  • October 2, 1994: Esplanade - Chandni Chowk (0.7 km)
  • February 19, 1995: Shyambazar - Girish Park (1.9 km) and Chandni Chowk - Central (0.6 km)
  • September 27, 1995: Central - Girish Park (1.8 km)
  • August 22, 2009: Tollygunge (Mahanayak Uttam Kumar) - Garia Bazar (now Kavi Nazrul), 5.85 km
  • October 7, 2010: Garia Bazar (now Kavi Nazrul) - New Garia (now Kavi Subhash), 3 km

Features

Technical Features

A metro car is getting ready for journey towards Kavi Nazrul (New Garia) at Dum Dum

Metro construction is of a very complex nature requiring application of several new technologies in the fields of civil, electrical, signaling and telecommunication engineering. Indian engineers backed by their own experience and supplemented by their studies abroad, adopted advanced technologies in the following fields for the first time in India.

  • Cut and cover method of construction using diaphragm walls and sheet piles.
  • Use of extensive decking to keep the traffic flowing over the cut while construction is in progress underneath.
  • Shield tunneling using compressed air and airlocks.
  • Ballast less track using elastic fastenings, rubber pads, epoxy mortar and nylon inserts.
  • Air-conditioning and ventilation system for environmental control of stations and tunnels.
  • Third Rail current collection system for traction.
  • Underground substations with dry type transformers and SF-6 circuit breakers.
  • Tunnel-Train VHF-radio communication system.
  • Micro-processor-based train control and supervisory remote control system for substations.
  • Automatic ticket vending and checking system.

Reservation for women

Recently, the Kolkata Metro Railway experimented with the practice of reserving two entire compartments for women.[3]

This system was found to be ineffective and caused inconvenience for a lot of commuters(including women) and the plan was eventually dropped by the metro authority. But a certain section of seats in each of the 8 compartments is reserved for women.

Salient features

Total route length 25 km (15.5 miles)
Stations 23 (15 underground, 2 on surface and 6 elevated)
Gauge 1676 mm (5 ft 6 in), Indian Broad Gauge
Cars per train 8
Train length 162.4 m (8-car)
Maximum permissible speed 55 km/h (34 mph)
Average speed 30 km/h (19 mph)
Voltage 750 V D.C.
Method of current collection third rail
Travel Time: Dum Dum to Kavi subhash 50 minutes (approx.)
Capacity (per car) 326 passengers (278 standing, 48 sitting)
Capacity (per train) 2590 passengers (approx.)
Headways 6–8 minutes during peak hours & 10–15 minutes at other times
Total estimated cost of the project ₹1,825 crore (US$213.6 million) (approx.)
Environment control Forced ventilation with washed and cooled air in case of non AC rakes and air conditioning in case of AC rakes

Method of construction

  • Cut and cover method of construction using diaphragm walls and sheet piles.
  • Use of extensive decking to keep the traffic flowing over the cut while construction in progress underneath.
  • Shield tunneling using compressed air and airlocks.
  • Ballast less track using elastic fastenings, rubber pads, epoxy mortar and nylon inserts.
  • Air-conditioning and ventilation system for environmental control of stations and tunnels.
  • Third Rail current collection system for traction.

Rolling Stock

Kolkata Metro Train (Line 1)
In service1984-present
ManufacturerICF Chennai (body and non-electric components), NGEF Bangalore (electric components)
Formation8 cars per trainset
Capacityapprox. 2356 passengers per train
OperatorsMetro Railway, Kolkata (under supervision of Indian Railways)
Lines servedLine 1, Kolkata Metro
Specifications
Maximum speed55 km/h (in service)
Transmission750 V DC using third rail
Safety system(s)ATP, ATC
Track gauge5 ft 6 in (1676 mm) gauge
Kolkata Metro near Dum Dum

The whole fleet is vestibuled. Carbodies and mechanical components were made by ICF Chennai with electrical components made by NGEF, Bangalore. The fleet is unique in that it is the only railroad equipment in India with end-mounted cab doors (except for some of the WAG-6 series locomotives).

ICF has specifically designed, manufactured and supplied these cars for the Kolkata Metro Underground Railway System. The special features incorporated are:

  • Traction power supply through third rail current collection system.
  • Automatic door opening / closing and continuous monitoring of the transit.
  • Automatic Train Stop (ATS) system which will automatically apply the brakes in case of human failure.
  • Automatic train operation (ATO) with the driver acting as the train supervisor (optional).
  • A public address system is provided on the trains to announce approaching stations. A central dispatcher can contact any of the train crew and also make important announcements directly to passengers over the system.

With all these features, the design and manufacturing process of these cars to a very high standard of reliability and safety has been a challenge. This was achieved without any technical collaboration. The entire fleet is capable of carrying 2356 passengers.

In October 2010, the current class of rolling stock has begin to be phased out and replaced by new air-conditioned cars two of which have been already pressed into service. Out of a total of 18 trainsets (non AC) owned by the Kolkata Metro, 11 are supposed to be retired within a few years and the remaining 7 will be rebuilt with new features including air conditioning, which is badly needed.

The two state of the art AC rakes have the following features :-

a. Microprocessor controlled temperature and humidity control inside the trains. b. Fully automatic and digital operation of the train including emergency braking in the event of human failure or an emergency. c. LCD displays inside the motormen's cabins. d. Low external and internal noise level. e. Maximum speed of 80 km/h and Avge speed is 50 km/h. f. Multilingual Electronic LED sign boards both inside and outside the train. g. Public address system. h. Multi Reflector Head lamps. i. LED based tail lamps. j. Third rail system of current collection. k. Continuous monitoring of the transit.

The new air-conditioned rolling stock was manufactured by ICF in collaboration with BHEL and Knorr Bremse, Germany.

Routes

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Kolkata Metro Map (Update: From Aug 2009, the green dotted section from Tollygunj to Garia is also operational)

North South Corridor

The stations on the metro (south to north) are :

Alignment & Interchanges

Dum Dum station and all the stations from Shahid Khudiram (Briji) to Netaji (Kudghat) are elevated, Mahanayak Uttam Kumar (Tollygunge) station and Kavi Subhash (New Garia) are at ground level, while all the other stations are underground. Dum Dum, Park Street, Mahanayak Uttam Kumar (Tollygunge), Netaji (Kundghat), Masterda Surya Sen (Bansdroni), Geetanjali (Naktala), Kavi Nazrul (Garia Bazar), Shahid Khudiram (Briji) and Kavi Subhash (New Garia) have side platforms; all other stations have island platforms. Central, is an exception as it has both platforms on the sides as well as in the centre. Dum Dum, Kavi Subhash (New Garia), Rabindra Sarobar & Shobhabazar Sutanuti have connections to interchange with standard railway while Belgachhia, Shyambazar, Esplanade & Kalighat have connections to the tram network. Tram lines also serve Shobhabazar Sutanuti, Mahatma Gandhi Road, Central, Jatin Das Park, Rabindra Sarobar & Mahanayak Uttam Kumar (Tollygunge) stations. Previously Park street & Maidan stations were also served by tram. The Eastern Metropolitan Bypass can be accessed from the Shahid Khudiram (Briji) metro station.

Extension of North South Corridor

Mamata Banerjee during her first tenure as the railway minister initiated the project of Tollygunj - Garia metro extension. During her second tenure (2009–present ), she got the inaugurated the extension and also introduced new state-of-the-art Air Conditioned rakes, manufactured indegenously at the Integral Coach Factory, at Perambur near Chennai.

The new extension to Garia Bazar in the south opened to public on 23 August 2009. The Garia Bazar station was named after Kavi Nazrul. A final extension from Kavi Nazrul (Garia Bazar) to Kavi Subhash (New Garia) was inaugurated on October 7, 2010, bringing the total number of stations to 23. On the same day two Air-Conditioned rakes were also pressed into service.

Fare Structure

The Metro fare is distance-based. Fare structure on Metro Railway was last revised with effect from 01.10.2001 after a gap of 3 years. The present fare structure is as below:

ZONE DISTANCE (km) FARE (₹)
I up to 5 4.00
II 5-10 6.00
III 10-15 8.00
IV 15-20 10.00
V 20 and above 12.00

Tickets

Kolkata Metro Single Person single journey ticket

Metro Rail, Kolkata introduced Automatic Fare Collection (AFC) system in August/September'94, with magnetic tickets and Passenger Control (PC). Currently, the following types of tickets are available.

  • Daily Tickets
    • Single trip tickets (1 person)
    • Double-trip tickets (1 person)
    • Single-trip tickets (2 to 7 people)
    • Double-trip tickets (2 to 7 people)
    • Daily Tickets (Day Passes)
  • Multi Ride Tickets
    • Minimum Multi Ride (MMR) - Valid for 21 days (12 trips available by paying fare for 11 trips)
    • Limited Multi Ride (LMR) - Valid for 30 days (40 trips available by paying fare for 30 trips)
    • Extended Multi Ride (EMR) - Valid for 90 days (80 trips available by paying fare for 55 trips)

The above tickets are issued for all three zones.

Smart Cards

In 2005, Metro Kolkata introduced the Smart Card-based ticketing system for daily users. This was started to reduce the cost of magnetic tickets as well as the number in circulation. Therefore there is a discount offered as compared to the price of the normal magnetic tickets.

Metro Railway ,Kolkata becomes the 17th new zone under Indian Railways

Metro Rail,Kolkata became the 17th new Zone under the Indian Railways on 28th December 2010 . This was a bold move by Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee which enabled metro rail to become autonomous and take independent decisions.Metro Rail , Kolkata now becomes similar to DMRC.


East - West Metro

East And West Metro, a ₹4,874.58 crore (US$570.5 million) project to connect Kolkata with Howrah by an underwater metro line has been cleared by the central government.[4] The total length will be 14.67 km (8.9 km underground and 5.77 km elevated). This line will be constructed and maintained by a separate body named Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation (KMRC).However in January 2011 KMRC and the entire EW metro corridor was taken over by the Ministry of Railways from the Ministry of Urban development and the state Govt. of West Bengal. The WB State Govt. decided to handover the project to Indian Railways because Govt. of WB was going through a huge financial crisis. So now the EW Metro's majority stake is with the Indian Railways and the remaining part is as a loan from the Japan Bank of International Cooperation.

The West Bengal government had earlier appointed Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Limited to conduct a feasibility study of the project after which the government had initially put the project on hold due to funding issues.The underwater metro plan was first thought of when the first metro service was inaugurated in Kolkata in 1984 by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The route is to cover 12 stations and go under the river through a tunnel. Foundation Stone was laid on 22 February 2009.

Proposed Route

Construction of line 2 started in March 2009. The East-West Metro will run from Salt Lake Sector 5 (in the east) to Howrah Maidan(in the west). Unlike line 1, which is operated by the Indian Railways, line 2 will be operated by a new company - Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation (KMRC). Trains will be air conditioned, and underground stations will be equipped with platform screen doors. It will run on standard (4' 8.5", 1435mm) gauge, unlike line 1, which uses broad (5' 6", 1676mm) gauge.

Proposed stations are - Salt Lake Sector 5, Karunamoyee Housing Estate, Central Park, City Center, Bengal Chemical Office, Yuva Bharati Krirangan, Phoolbagan, Sealdah Station, Central (crossing with line 1), Mahakaran, Howrah Station and Howrah Maidan. Between Mahakaran & Howrah Station, the metro will run 100 ft (30 m). under the Hooghly River (first underwater metro in India). The line will be elevated between Salt Lake Sector 5 and Yuva Bharati Krirangan, and the remaining stretch will be underground.Transfer stations will be located at Sealdah and Howrah. Completion date is estimated to be October 31, 2014.

In future the line may be extended to Newtown (in the east) and to Domjur (in the west).


Latest Projects & Plans

The plan to extend the line in the north from Dumdum to Baranagar (3 km).[5] has finally been sanctioned and is under execution. The proposed line adds two more stations – Noapara and Baranangar to the existing line. The construction of this line started in February 2010. This line has also been planned to be extended till Dakshineshwar (2 km) and Barrackpore (12.5 km) in the north.[5]

The project to build a 18.5 km long line from Noapara to Barasat via Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport.[5] is also sanctioned and construction work has commenced on this stretch.

A 16.72km long metro line from Joka (in extreme South Kolkata) and B B D Bagh (in central Kolkata) is also under construction . It is being constructed by RVNL and the tender has gone to Simplex Infrastructures.

The proposed stations on this route are[6] -

  1. Joka
  2. Thakurpukur
  3. Sakherbazar
  4. Behala Chowrasta
  5. Behala Bazar
  6. Taratalla
  7. Majherhat
  8. Mominpur
  9. Kidderpore
  10. Hastings
  11. Park Street
  12. Esplanade
  13. BBD Bag

The proposed Park Street and Esplanade stations won't be the same as the ones on the north-south Metro route. The Joka-BBD Bag route will meet the north-south services at the Central station, said a senior Metro official. This is where the upcoming East-West Metro is likely to meet the two routes as well. Passengers can take different routes from this station

A connection between New Garia and the Airport(32 km) via E M Bypass , Saltlake and Rajarhat is on the cards in order to help reduce travel time between the southern fringes of Kolkata to the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport. The work on this New Garia-Airport was inaugurated by Mamata Banerjee on February 7th, 2011 with a project deadline of six months[7].

The 32km link between Kavi Subhas (New Garia) and the airport, to be set up at a cost of Rs 400 crore, will have 24 stations. The stations, as declared till now, will be named after eminent personalities[8].

  1. Satyajit Ray Station (Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute)
  2. Jyotindra Nandy Station (Mukundapur)
  3. Sukanta Bhattacharya Station (Kalikapur)
  4. Hemanta Mukhopadhyay Station (Kasba Golpark/Ruby Hospital)
  5. Barun Sengupta Station (Science City)
  6. Gour Kishore Ghosh Station (Chingrighata)
  7. IT Station (Salt Lake Sector V)
  8. Kala Kshetra Station (Rajarhat CBD 2)
  9. Titumir Station (Rajarhat City Centre)
  10. Rabindra Tirtha (Rajarhat)
  11. Ritwik Ghatak Station (Bantala Road)
  12. Jai Hind Station (Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport)

Incidents

On 12 October 2010, a train suffered a power supply failure between Girish Park and Sovabazar stations resulting in passengers being stranded in the tunnels for nearly 35 minutes before being escorted to safety.[9] In another rare incident a Metro train partially derailed on 19 October 2010, though no injuries or major damage was reported. Kolkata Metro derailment: News on India Today.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Kolkata Metro is now the 17th zone of Indian Railways". The Times of India. 29 December 2010. Retrieved 29 December 2010.
  2. ^ A City’s Lifeline – Circular Railway - India Profile
  3. ^ Metro reserves compartments for females
  4. ^ Underwater metro in Kolkata gets central nod
  5. ^ a b c http://www.telegraphindia.com/1100227/jsp/calcutta/story_12158284.jsp
  6. ^ http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata-/Joka-BBD-Bag-Metro-on-the-anvil/articleshow/6149695.cms
  7. ^ Bureau (2010-10-12). "From AC to age of caves - Fury after Metro passengers get trapped in tunnel". The Telegraph - Calcutta. Retrieved 2010-10-14. {{cite news}}: |author= has generic name (help)
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