Heritage ride: Kolkata Metro brings back non-AC rake

Kolkata: After a three-year absence, the non-AC Metro rake has returned to the tracks of Kolkata Metro for a special heritage run, commemorating its 40th anniversary. On Tuesday, a non-AC (NGEF) Metro rake travelled from Mahanayak Uttam Kumar station (Tollygunge) to Maidan station on the Blue Line (Dakshineswar-Kavi Subhash), as part of the week-long celebration that commenced on October 18.

The decorated rake set off at 12.43 pm, arriving at Maidan at 12.58 pm. P Uday Kumar Reddy, General Manager of Metro Railway, Kolkata inaugurated the event in presence of renowned dancer and actress Mamata Shankar and film director Goutam Ghosh, both of whom had travelled on the Metro on its first day of operation on October 24, 1984. They expressed their joy at experiencing the non-AC rake again after four decades. P Sreelatha, president of the Metro Railway Women Welfare Organisation (MRWWO), senior Metro Railway officers, and other commuters also enjoyed this Heritage Journey on the 6.1 km stretch.

Metro Railway is offering another opportunity for enthusiasts to join a heritage run on Wednesday, with tickets available for Rs 100 each at Mahanayak Uttam Kumar station. The train will depart from this station at 1 pm and will not make any stops along the way to Maidan.

The non-AC Metro rakes were officially retired on October 24, 2021. The rake used for Tuesday’s run, N-16/18, was introduced into the fleet on May 13, 1992, and last served in commercial operation on December 26, 2020.

Manufactured by ICF and equipped with electrical components from the National Government Electrical Factory (NGEF), the NGEF rakes originally debuted on October 24, 1984. Each rake comprised eight coaches, with six being DMC (Driving Motor Coach) and NDMC (Non-Driving Motor Coach), powered by four number of series-type DC traction motors.