• Source:JND
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In a bid to enhance the safety of the passengers, Metro officials of Kolkata and Delhi are planning to install new anti-drag facilities by July 2026 to prevent passengers from being dragged by closing doors. This step comes after tragic accidents, including one at Park Street station in Kolkata in 2019, where a man lost his life, and another in Delhi in 2023, where a woman died after her sari got caught in the doors.

According to The Telegraph, the anti-drag technology has already undergone trials in Delhi, while in Calcutta, trains have to be retrofitted with the existing system. The first batch of trains of the Kolkata Metro to be equipped with the system is expected to be the coaches of the Blue Line.

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“Anti-drag is an advanced feature. If, by accident, any part of the dress or other item gets stuck in the doors and the train starts, then a force will be applied on the doors and the train will automatically apply the emergency brakes and stop,” a railway official said.

A Metro Railway spokesperson said that the Railway Board has approved the installation of anti-drag features on all existing rakes of Kolkata Metro’s Blue Line through a retrofitment process. A tender for the project will be issued soon. The spokesperson added, “A tender will be floated shortly. The ICF has already been advised to include the above features in all upcoming rakes fitted with the communications-based train control system (CBTC). The ICF is taking necessary action in this regard so that the CBTC rakes are provided with these anti-drag features from day one.”

He further mentioned that the Metro plans to introduce this safety enhancement across all its corridors in phases.

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The anti-drag system has been developed by a German rail braking system manufacturer. Engineers from the company will carry out the retrofit work on the existing Metro trains. The technology was recently showcased at an industrial exhibition in Delhi.

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