Kolkata To Adopt ‘Driver-less’ Technology In All New Metro Corridors

All new corridors of Kolkata Metro will adopt the communication based train control (CBTC) system to operate its metro network, allowing driverless operations in future, Times Of India has reported. The new stations will have platform screen doors which will be integrated with CBTC software. The system will use an upgraded signalling system that is more precise than systems that are currently in use. Operations of driver-less metro will be monitored from a centralised control centre.

The Airport Express Line on the Delhi Metro and Line 1 of the Mumbai Metro were the first to use CBTC in India.

The decision was taken at a meeting between Metro officials and Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) at Metro Bhavan on 24 August 2017. The railway official said that the metro’s braking system, screen doors and power supply to the train will be integrated by the CBTC. Unlike the current system, there will be no signals on CBTC lines. With this upgrade, trains will be able to run at a gap of one and half minutes.

64 kilometres of railway will be built in Kolkata. The corridors include Barrackpore- Baranagar & Dakshineshwar (14.5 km), Dum Dum Airport-New Garia via Rajarhat (32km) and Joka-BBD Bagh via Majerhat (16.7km). Currently driver-less Metro trains are operating in Delhi.

Also Read: Kolkata’s East-West Metro Line In Trouble, Agency Struggles To Find Drivers To Operate Trains