Sealdah-Howrah 11-minute journey nears reality as East-West Metro signalling work begins

Kolkata: The dream of a quick 11-minute journey between Sealdah and Howrah stations moved a step closer to reality as the Kolkata Metro Railway Corporation Limited (KMRCL) commenced signalling work on the East-West Metro corridor (Green Line) on January 12.

To facilitate these works, KMRCL had requested a complete traffic block on Sundays, January 12 and 19. Kolkata Metro Railway has approved the request, meaning there will be no services on the East-West Metro’s under-river section (Howrah Maidan-Esplanade) during these dates.

The Green Line is the first corridor in Kolkata Metro to implement the advanced Communications Based Train Control (CBTC) signalling system, which includes the automatic train operation (ATO) feature. This system enables trains to communicate with each other about speed, position and acceleration, thus eliminating human error. Additionally, it offers automatic train protection (ATP) to prevent collisions, overspeeding and red-signal violations.

Once fully operational, the CBTC system will enable trains to run autonomously, with train operators serving as mere observers.

In the event of an emergency, the system allows for all trains to be halted instantly at the control centre, akin to Japan’s protocol in emergencies, which is not possible on the existing North-South Corridor (Dakshineswar- Kavi Subhash).

Currently, Green Line services operate in two sections: from Salt Lake Sector V to Sealdah and from Esplanade to Howrah Maidan.

The Bowbazar crisis had disrupted the link between Sealdah and Esplanade, but it was resolved by the end of 2024, successfully connecting Sealdah Metro Station with Esplanade. Engineers involved in the project also mentioned, “Electrical works related to the aluminium third rail are nearly complete and the Electrical Inspector of the Government has been approached for statutory EIG inspection of the third rail work before charging the aluminium third rail.” KMRCL is now working to unify the two corridors and implement the CBTC signalling system across the entire stretch. CBTC signalling experts explained: “After hardware installation for the missing link, the unification of the two corridors in terms of software, communication, etc., will commence.”

Sources said that a full 45-day closure of the Green Line, from February 8 to March 24, has been proposed by KMRCL to fine-tune the new software and validate train operations without passengers. However, Metro Railway officials are exploring innovative solutions to minimise disruption and also want to conduct commercial operations alongside the trials.