Metro gears up to resume operations

Kolkata: The Metro rail service in Kolkata will resume from September 8 after being shut for over six months because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This comes after the Bengal government wrote to the Railway Board to resume metro and local train services in the state in a limited manner maintaining the norms of physical distancing.

"After receiving the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), we will sit for a meeting with state government officials and then we will resume services," said Kolkata Metro Railway chief public relations officer Indrani Banerjee. However, necessary sanitisation, repairs and replacements have also been undertaken across the network.

She reiterated that tokens will not be issued for the passengers making a metro trip initially. Only smart cards will be used for travelling to prevent crowd of people at ticket counters. This apart, hand sanitizers will be kept at all the metro stations. "Metro Railway has developed a user friendly smart card recharge App. commuters will have to download this App from Google Play Store where it will be available within a few days," pointed out Indrani.

According to sources, Kolkata Metro Railway authority will receive the SOP on Tuesday. However, there is no announcement of resumption of normal local train services in the state. Indian Railways is chalking out strategies to tackle commuter rush before resumption of local train services.

The Railway authority will conduct a meeting with state government officials soon. They will discuss the frequency of trains, timing of trains, and exit and entry system of passengers.