The Orange Line of the Kolkata Metro might be thrown open to the public in March. With the CRS inspection done on Monday between Kavi Subhash (New Garia) – Hemanta Mukherjee (Ruby), the first phase of the New Garia – Airport Metro Corridor, Metro authorities are expecting a green signal from the safety regulator within the next few days following which a date of launch will be decided. On 30th January Commissioner of Rail Safety North-Frontier circle- Suvomoy Mitra conducted speed trials of the ICF Medha Rake brought from Metro Line 1. He also checked the passenger amenities and other safety equipment at the five stations,
Sources said PM Narendra Modi may be physically present to inaugurate the truncated stretch of Metro Line 4. The project once completed will connect Airport with New Garia via Newtown and EM Bypass. The 5.4km stretch includes five stations Kavi Subhash (New Garia), Satyajit Ray (Hiland Park), Jyotirindra Nandi (Ajoynagar), Kavi Sukanta (Abhisikta Crossing), and Hemanta Mukherjee (Ruby). Like Metro Line 3 Trains here will also run on one train-only system as CBTC signaling is yet to be installed.
This line has already suffered enormous delays and cost overruns due to land hurdles coming it’s way. Even now when the service from New Garia- Ruby starts, Metro has to do it with two incomplete entry gates, one each at Ruby and Abhisikta stations. This was because state agencies took time in handing over the space to Metro for the construction of the gates. At Ruby Station, the construction of Entry Gate “D” started late because of encroachment at the earlier identified site, as the civic body could not remove them RVNL changed the layout. It was because of procedural delay in shifting CESC cables that had halted the construction of Gate “A” at Abhishikta.
If the CRS allows the metro to run without the completion of these gates at the respective stations then it would be an exception.
” We’ve submitted documents to the CRS to enunciate when the sites were handed over to us. Hopefully, the explanation would suffice and the revenue operations will come through. The pace of construction has been hastened workers are on the job 24 × 7 so the 2 station gates are ready by March end.” Said a senior RVNL officer.
