Kolkata: Trial run was conducted on the extended stretch of Orange Line from Hemanta Mukhopadhyay (Ruby) to Beleghata on Saturday. According to Metro officials, a trial run was conducted to keep machinery and staff ready for the commercial services in the extended stretch.
During the trial run, two round trips were made with a Medha ac rake on both the lines. This trial run ended at 12.35 pm. Various parameters like track fitness, emergency brake, power supply, proper docking of rake and response of the station staff were rigorously checked during the trial run, an official stated.
In March, a controversy over the stretch had erupted after Metro Railway claimed that the state was not cooperating with regards to permitting a traffic block on EM Bypass to complete remaining work there. The Chief Commissioner of Railway Safety Janak Kumar Garg expressed dissatisfaction and advised to construct an additional 90-metre viaduct beyond Beleghata station limit and FOB at Beleghata to enable commuters to cross the busy EM Bypass to enter the Beleghata Metro Station safely.
Kolkata Police had refuted the claims made and stated that currently P-303 to P-316 is under construction for which traffic diversion was needed between Chingrighata and Metropolitan. “Till the time proper traffic diversion is in place, RVNL/Metro can complete the mentioned portion and then can take up work at metropolitan crossing,” they stated.
The traffic block permit has still not been given according to a source but the RVNL is hopeful that the state will soon give approval for it.
In the meantime, Metro Railway conducted the trial run which started at 11:22 am on Saturday in presence of senior Metro officials in order to keep machinery and staff ready for the commercial services from Kavi Subhash to Beleghata stretch.
The extended stretch of Orange Line from Hemanta Mukhopadhyay to Beleghata spreads over a stretch of 4.39 kilometres. Four stations — VIP Bazar, Ritwik Ghatak (Topsia area), Barun Sengupta (close to Science City) and Beleghata — dot this stretch.