- By Deeksha Gour
- Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:28 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
Kolkata Metro News: Kolkata Metro has announced a four-day suspension of services along the East-West corridor, starting February 20. This pause is necessary for testing the Communication-Based Train Control (CBTC) system on the entire stretch from Howrah Maidan to Salt Lake Sector V.
The service will be unavailable from February 20 to February 23, marking the second phase of back-to-back suspensions for this testing. The CBTC system is crucial for ensuring the safety and efficiency of the metro service following the completion of tunnelling work between the Esplanade and Sealdah stations.
Previously, services were halted for four days starting February 13 to conduct thorough trials of the advanced CBTC system. In a statement released on Tuesday, Metro Railway confirmed, “There will be another complete traffic block from February 20 to 23 for testing the CBTC System on the East-West Metro Corridor. No services will be available during this time on the East-West corridor.”
Kolkata Metro Update
During this period, the Blue Line, Purple Line and Orange Line will continue to operate as per their regular schedules.
In metro operations, a 'traffic block' refers to the complete suspension of train services. Currently, the metro operates between Howrah Maidan to Esplanade and from Sealdah to Sector V, but the section from Esplanade to Sealdah has faced delays.
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Kolkata Metro Delays
These delays stem from several issues, including a cave-in during tunnelling work at Bowbazar in September 2019, which was caused by the boring machine hitting an aquifer, along with other similar incidents in subsequent years. As a result, services along the 2.5-km Esplanade-Sealdah stretch of the 16.6-km East-West corridor have yet to commence.
At present, trains run on two disconnected sections: Sector V to Sealdah and Esplanade to Howrah Maidan.
(With PTI Inputs)
