The Hindu Business Line : Rly panel moots ways to cut Kolkata Metro’s losses

Kolkata, Feb. 5 The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Railways, after reviewing the progress of various projects (sanctioned under 10th Plan) involving South Eastern Railway, Eastern Railway and Metro Rail, has suggested ways to cut the recurring losses incurred by Kolkata’s Metro Rail.

Briefing newspersons here on Monday after the review meetings, Mr Basudev Acharia, Chairman of the Standing Committee, said completion of the Garia extension work (originally scheduled for completion in 2007) by at least 2009 should help.

He felt the frequency of metro trains, a key component of the city’s beleaguered transportation system (Metro now handles on an average some 4 lakh passengers daily) should be taken to five minutes from the existing eight minutes during peak hours. “Needless to add, new rakes will be needed for this, and we intend to submit suitable recommendations to the Railway Board in this regard.”

On the extension project, after discussions with Metro Rail authorities, he said services from Tollygunje towards Garia may become operational up to Pranabnagar station by June 2009, some 2.5 km away from Garia.

Work on the last stretch has been affected owing to land acquisition problems leading to litigations. He urged the authorities to expedite work, as the project was already well behind schedule.

It is now expected that work up to Naktala station would be completed by September 2008.

Dum Dum-Dakhineshwar link

Mr Acharia said the survey report on the plan to link Dum Dum with Dakhineshwar station would be submitted to the Railway Board by February 12. “I am confident this project will find a place in the forthcoming rail Budget.” Stressing on the need to integrate extension of services to airport with the Metro Rail system, he said the required survey (already decided) was yet to begin.

Pointing out that modernisation of signalling system and new lines in Bengal would receive highest priority from the Railways, from a safety point of view, he said in some of the long standing projects for new connections, doubling of lines, etc, only some 35 per cent of the work has been completed so far. Some of the new lines are Tarakeshwar-Bishnupur (expected to be completed by 2009), Bishnupur-Jairambati (said to take another two years) and Krishnanagar-Shantipur.

Mr Acharia said doubling of the important lines was urgently needed to augment Railways’ freight earnings. Citing importance of movement of iron ore and finished steel products in the eastern region, he said many of the eight lines were now completely saturated.

Citing the number of new steel plant projects coming up in Bengal, he felt the Railways would be called upon to play a key role in raw material movement. Gauge conversion, from narrow to broad, was the need of the hour, he added.

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