Kolkata: The flexibility in train operations and number of services can be increased if situation demands in the Joka to Majerhat stretch of Purple line as Chief Commissioner of Railway Safety (CCRS) approved commissioning of Electronic Interlocking (EI)-based signalling system.
CCRS, NF Circle Janak Kumar Garg has approved the commissioning as the initial stage of Communications-Based Train Control (CBTC) based signalling system on
both Up and Down lines. The approval has been given between Joka Station and the upcoming Majerhat Station of Purple Line and Joka Depot of Joka-Esplanade Corridor. The approval of the same was given on Tuesday.
At present, services on this stretch which is operational between Joka to Taratala are being run following the ‘One Train Only System.’ With CCRS approval, the train operations will be made flexible. At present 24 services ply on this stretch daily. On January 13, the maiden trial run on Taratala-Majerhat
stretch of Joka-Esplanade Metro Corridor was conducted.
“We want to start the route with a signalling system. We are working on it and it will be opened soon,” General Manager of Metro Railway P Uday Kumar Reddy had said during a Press conference earlier. He also revealed that the operational section of Purple Line, which is Joka to Taratala, gets 500 passengers per day. The Metro Railway expects the number to rise after the operational stretch is extended to Majerhat.
Recently, the CCRS had approved EI-based signalling systems for the Kavi Subhash to Hemanta Mukhopahyay (Ruby) section of Orange Line as well. According to Metro Railway, the services in this stretch will start very soon.