Kolkata Metro plans to replace old fleets with modern Metro trains

Kolkata, India (Urban Transport News): Indian Railways-owned Kolkata Metro Railway is planning to replace its old rakes with the modern metro trainsets, said Indrani Banerjee, Spokesperson for Kolkata Metro Railways on Friday. She said that five new metro trainsets made by the Integral Coach Factory, Perumbur, were made operational last year on the 27.2 km long Noapara-Kavi Subhash route. After that average daily 22-24 trains are providing services to the Kolkata Metro commuters.

"In all, the Kolkata Metro had ordered 40 air-conditioned rakes from different manufacturers to augment its services. While 16 are from ICF, 14 are from China's CNR Dalian Locomotive & Rolling Stock Co. and the rest from CRRC Zhuzhou Locomotive Company, also in China," Banerjee said. The Chinese Rolling Stock manufacturer Dalian Locomotive & Rolling Stock Co has started the delivery of trainsets and the first train had arrived late last year. Trial runs of Dalain make Metro trainset, are being conducted two to three days every week after commercial services end at night.

"A team of experts from Dalian is working with engineers from Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO) and the Metro Railway here for smooth integration of the new rake into the system," she explained. She said that the new trainsets will be made operational on commercial service only after getting safety clearance from the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS). All aspects of the new trainsets, equipped with the latest technology, have to be looked into before it was integrated into the system.

Kolkata Metro is India's oldest and first underground metro system, which continues to run old, non-air conditioned metro trainsets since 1984. Five new indigenously developed trainsets were introduced last year. After some technical glithes in the initial stages of testing and after addressing the same these five trains are now smoothly integrated into the existing system. According to plan, the Kolkata Metro Railway will replace all old, non-air-conditioned rakes with the modern air-conditioned rakes by the end of 2020.