Two Metro Rakes taken to Howrah Maidan; test Runs to commence soon, say officials

  After a long wait, two Metro rakes were taken to Howrah Maidan on Wednesday. The “test runs” between Howrah Maidan to Esplanade will soon begin and will be conducted for the next five to seven months.

According to a Metro official, two rakes were handed over to Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation Limited (KMRCL) which is the implementing agency of the East-West Metro line which is supposed to connect Howrah Maidan to Salt Lake Sector-V on Sunday.

A portion of this line, Sealdah to Salt Lake Sector V is already functional and Metro Railway is expecting to begin commercial service from Howrah Maidan to Esplanade by this year, after getting CRS clearance. Once this stretch is open then Howrah will be the deepest Metro station (33 metres below the surface) in the country. Metro is expected to cover the 520 metres stretch under the river Hooghly in 45 seconds. This tunnel under the river is 32 metres below the water level.

On Wednesday, when the first rake, MR-612, was sent to Howrah Maidan, General Manager of Metro Railway P Uday Kumar Reddy travelled in it from Mahakaran to Howrah Maidan station. The rake crossed the Hooghly River at 11:55 am. Reddy was accompanied by the Additional General Manager of Metro Railway and MD of KMRCL HN Jaiswal and other senior officials.

Later the second rake, MR-613 was also taken to Howrah Maidan station. Terming it a historic event, the General Manager informed that the trial runs from Howrah Maidan to Esplanade will be conducted for the next seven months and after that regular services on this stretch is likely to begin.