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Kolkata | Metro

6M views 33K replies 524 participants last post by  bhartikum87 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
Kolkata's metro started commercial operations in 1984 and is currently being expanded in all directions.

Map (view on google maps)


Operational:
Line 1: Dum Dum to New Garia - 25 kms with 23 stations

Under Construction:
Line 2: Howrah Maidan to Salt Lake Sector V - 14.67 kms with 12 stations
Line 3: BBD Bagh to Joka - 16.72 kms with 13 stations
Line 4: Noapara - Barasat - 18 kms
Line 6: New Garia - NSCB Airport - 32 kms with 24 stations

Approved (construction to commence soon):
Line 1: Dum Dum - Dakshineswar (extension)
Line 5: Baranagar - Barrackpore - 14.5 kms

Line 2 Rolling Stock - to be supplied by CAF (16 rakes consisting of 6 coaches each)
 
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#62 ·
too bad there are no plans to modernize all the trains :(
^^ Is the above comment in response to an article ? If so, pls point out the source. There is a plan to replace the existing rakes for North-South corridor by the end of next year.
 
#63 ·
East-West rail link to airport

The state government is planning a train corridor along VIP Road to the airport in time for the launch of the integrated terminal building.

The Salt Lake Central Park-Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport link will be an offshoot of the East-West Metro project, which was cleared by the Centre on Thursday. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), the state government’s interim consultant for East-West Metro, is also preparing the detailed project report for the other corridor.

“The detailed project report will be submitted to the state government in about six months,” said K. Gangopadhyay, the project director of DMRC.
According to the plan now, the major part of the 7.5-km stretch will be elevated.



“The target is to complete the link by 2010, when the modernisation project will be completed and the new airport terminal building will become operational,” said S.P.S. Bakshi, the director of the airport modernisation project.

The southern tip of the link will be the Central Park station on the East-West Metro route connecting Howrah with Salt Lake. The tracks will extend over Kestopur canal to VIP Road and cover almost the entire length of the stretch before going underground near its junction with the road heading right towards the airport.

The airport station may be integrated with the underground parking lot of the new terminal , said an airport official.

The Calcutta Metropolitan Development Authority, state transport department and the Airports Authority of India are working on projects along the proposed route. “We are exploring the possibility of integrating the work,” said a DMRC official.

The annual passenger handling capacity of the two terminals is six million. Once the integrated building becomes operational, it will jump to 20 million. While 6,000 private cars and taxis now visit the airport daily, the figure will go up to 24,000 after the modernisation. Pressure of passengers will lead to airport approach roads getting clogged. So, the state government is planning train links and flyovers.

The state transport department has planned a four-lane flyover from Chitpur to the Lake Town-VIP Road crossing. The existing Circular Railway connection between Dum Dum junction and the airport may be made a part of the Metro route.

Metro Rail is studying the project feasibility. “The survey will be completed next month,” said a Metro official.
 
#66 · (Edited)
Metro through saltlake/ultadanga & parallel to VIP road? :nuts: Good news. Nice to see they are positively thinking about various possibilities.
^^Exactly! Possibilities are being explored. Initially it was the metro extension from Dum Dum to airport by utilizing the existing circular rail elevated line and now this. There was also the piece on Dum Dum to Dakhinneshwar metro line which was stated as more viable than the former.

But this one sounds quite convincing since it can result in unclogging the vital VIP Rd in the long term and provide a huge benefit to the population in the areas of Lake town, Dum dum park, Baguihati , Haldiram etc and ofcourse, a hassle free ride to airport from various parts of the city.

The existing Circular Railway connection between Dum Dum junction and the airport may be made a part of the Metro route.
This does not seem quite right. As per the diagram, the lines go underground as it enters the road leading to the airport but the existing circular rail is elevated. If that is the case, then how can the circular connection be utilized here?
 
#68 ·
Metro plans leave experts disappointed

Nearly all hurdles have been cleared for the East-West Metro corridor, but transport experts are of the opinion that a few issues still need to be sorted out before actual construction starts.

For one, these experts from the Indian Railways and the Delhi Metro Railway Corporation (DMRC) are not happy with Kolkata Metro Railway Corporation's (KMRC) plans to start construction from the Salt Lake end.

"This is a mistake that many agencies make. The most difficult stretch is the underground one between Howrah and Sealdah. This will also turn out to be the most popular stretch. Ideally, work should start from Central station and proceed in both directions," a senior officer said.

The 13.7-km stretch will have 12 stations in Howrah, Mahakaran, Central, Bowbazar, Sealdah, Phoolbagan, Salt Lake Stadium, Bengal Chemical, City Centre, Central Park, Karunamoyee and Salt Lake Sector V. The first six will be underground and the rest elevated.

"The most important stretch will be the one between Howrah and Sealdah. Even if construction can be completed in the next three years, lakhs of commuters will be benefited. Work can continue on the remaining stretch after services have started on this one," the officer added.

Engineers will be tested while designing and building a tunnel under the Hooghly. Something of this sort has never been attempted anywhere in India. According to a DMRC official, work on this should start in the first phase rather than in the elevated section.

"KMRC will end up blocking funds and manpower in a considerably easier section. The tunnel between Mahakaran and the Hooghly will pass right under the central business district. There will be problems even if advanced tunnelling equipment are used," he said.

While the implementing agencies have already started hiring experts in civil engineering, officers feel there should be only one person in charge of the entire project.

The experts also fail to understand the logic behind the decision to appoint the general managers of Eastern and Metro Railways as directors of KMRC. "Instead of selecting people in high positions, they should have gone for people who can actually help. The GMs have little idea of the city. There are a number of other senior officers in the railways who could have done a far better job," one of them said.
 
#69 ·
^^

In India there is no dearth of unnamed experts who get quoted by the news media all too often. Sometimes experts turn out to be cases of sour grapes or friends of the editor or just friendly to the opposing parties. On other times they have genuine issues.

Just saying 'transport experts' said this and said that doesn't help anyone. Is it like 20 experts or is it one expert and his friend who was in the room drinking chai with him when the journalist dropped by?

I wish all such experts came out in the open, stated their issues and concerns and publicly presented their complaints to the authorities and let the media quote them publicly. That way the authorities are bound to give an answer to such issues. Shadow boxing through the media keeps the general public like us confused.
 
#72 ·
But in this case the "anonymous" experts seems to make sense. Wonder what Mr Sreedharan
has to say about this.
Their concerns may be valid and that is why they need to come forward and state it now in the open and submit their grievances publicly. That way foreseen problems can be tackled before starting the project.

Also more details need to be stated by the authorities too about their plans.

1) What are the numbers of buildings and people affected?

2) What is the rehab plan for affected people?

3) What are the chances of litigation?

4) What technology will be used?

5) How will traffic be affected? What roads will be closed or have restricted traffic? How will it affect the markets?

6) Will going underground prevent the hassles of building overground/elevated stretches?

7) Sections of the area comprise a major heritage zone. How will the old buildings stand up to underground work? We don't want the Government and Police headquarters to crash down after all.

8) Did they ever think of an alternative elevated section through one of the side streets like Tiretta Bazar/CIT Road and build a bridge over the Hooghly rather than a tunnel?
 
#73 ·
Ideally, work should start from Central station and proceed in both directions," a senior officer said.
I am at one with this senior officer.:) I think that since majority of the traffic would be between Howrah and Sealdah they should start the construction on this route i.e. if there is a priority situation.
 
#76 ·
The Metro FAQ from the Telegraph

East-West queries answered
The East-West Metro that was cleared by Delhi last week will be a unique project even for a city that has had an underground rail link for 24 years. Metro presents an FAQ to put doubts, if any, to rest.

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080609/jsp/calcutta/story_9379795.jsp
Good one Sun. I am just posting the full article. :)

East-West queries answered

The East-West Metro that was cleared by Delhi last week will be a unique project even for a city that has had an underground rail link for 24 years. Metro presents an FAQ to put doubts, if any, to rest.

What is East-West Metro?

Although modelled on Delhi’s Metro Railway, the East-West project will be the first in the country to have an underwater section. The stainless steel rakes will be almost noiseless, lighter, spacious and more comfortable than those that ferry people on the Tollygunge-Dum Dum route. Work on the Rs 4,676-crore project will start in January and the first phase is likely to be inaugurated by 2014.

The state will bear 30 per cent of the cost and the Centre 25 per cent. The remaining 45 per cent will be a soft loan from the Japan Bank for International Cooperation.

Which places will it connect?

It will connect Sector V in Salt Lake with Howrah, a distance of 13.77 km. There will be 12 stations, six above the ground and as many underneath. The surface stations will stand atop concrete pillars around 12 metres high.

Which portion will be under the Hooghly?

The underwater stretch will be around eight km, from Howrah to Subhas Sarobar. A joint venture company, Calcutta Metro Railway Corporation, will be in charge of the project. It will appoint a consortium of general consultants — to be selected through a global bidding process — to execute the project.

What kind of technology will be used?

The stretch underneath the Hooghly will be created with a massive tunnel-boring machine. The plan is to dig a tunnel 30 metres below the riverbed, through which the tracks will be laid. The tracks will be of standard gauge, instead of broad gauge. From Subhas Sarobar, the tracks will be elevated.

Will it be safe under water?

Londoners have been passing through the Thames tunnel for over a century.

The use of a tunnel-boring machine instead of the drilling and blasting method will ensure that the East-West Metro tunnel is created without disturbing the surrounding soil and, therefore, avoiding subsidence. Experts say that nobody will be able to make out they are travelling through an underwater tunnel and that no structure built on the surface will be under threat.

The stations of the tracks underneath will have entrances on the ground, just like the Metro stations between Tollygunge and Dum Dum.

How much digging is involved?

There won’t be too much activity — or chaos — at ground level because half the project will be underground. The concrete pillars on which the elevated portion is to stand will be built on the median dividers to avoid traffic disruption. The only problem, if any, will be constructing the stations.

At which point will the two Metros meet?

East-West will meet the North-South corridor at Central station. Passengers using the North-South Metro can walk a tier below and get a link to the East-West Metro. “The architects who designed Central station had left a provision for such connectivity,” an official said.

How much time will it take from one end to the other?

Between 35 and 40 minutes.
 
#77 ·
Guys, just for the information. There is already a small tunnel under river hoogly which distributes electricity between kolkata-howrah. So, EW metro tunnel will be the second one. :cheers:

CESE


...
The network includes submarine cables as also cables laid through a tunnel under the River Hooghly completed in 1931, which was a technological wonder of its time. The tunnel links the Southern Generating Station on the east bank of the River to the Botanical Gardens on the west bank. It is a 690 yard tunnel, 6 feet in diameter and 90 feet below ground level, transferring power in bulk from WBSEB and DVC.

...
 
#78 ·
Guys, just for the information. There is already a small tunnel under river hoogly which distributes electricity between kolkata-howrah. So, EW metro tunnel will be the second one. :cheers:

CESE
Yes this is true.

If they are concerned enough to solve these issues then remainings are not that difficult. :)
Otherwise we will have the Didis and Dadas on the streets calling bandhs and indulging in violence.
 
#79 ·
KMRC's website-> http://www.kmrc.in

With all the detailed info on it, it looks like its run by KMRC but doesn't the KMRC still have to be formed?

according to this recent article:

An autonomous body, the Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation (KMRC), is being set up on the lines of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation which will delink the East West Metro’s functioning from the Indian Railways.
 
#80 · (Edited)
KMRC's website-> http://www.kmrc.in

With all the detailed info on it, it looks like its run by KMRC but doesn't the KMRC still have to be formed?

according to this recent article:

An autonomous body, the Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation (KMRC), is being set up on the lines of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation which will delink the East West Metro’s functioning from the Indian Railways.
Good site. They have a picture of Bangalore though on the front page.
 
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