AC coaches in Kolkata Metro soon

The Metro Railway in this eastern metropolis will soon have air-conditioned coaches with the older ones being gradually phased out.

Of the 13 being built by the Integral Coach Factory at Perambur, two would arrive by March next year and be run on an experimental basis, a senior Metro official told PTI. "The remaining 11 coaches will arrive by September as a Durga puja gift for Kolkatans," he said.

Another 14 AC rakes would arrive by the Durga puja of 2011, with the old rakes in operation since 1984 when the Metro Railway became operational, being gradually phased out, the official said. Seven rakes, in operation since the early 90s, would be converted to AC and be renovated.

They will have advanced fault detection gadgets, air-springs and spacious vestibules with new global swing doors, he said.

The frequency of trains would be increased and the present 'absolute block system' replaced with automated signalling on the route, which now measures 23 km after a recent extension by 8.5 km in the south.

The new signalling system would enable trains to start from two stations simultaneously compared to the present practice of a train starting when the earlier one was two stations ahead.

Procurement and installation of the new signals estimated to cost Rs 60 crore (Rs 600 million) has started.

"If it takes 40 minutes for a commuter to travel from Dum Dum in the north to Garia in the south, we are sure that with the new signalling system the time can be slashed by ten minutes. Rush hour crowd will also come down a lot," the official said.

Also on the anvil were radio frequency identification technology for tickets for five lakh passengers who used the underground railway daily.

"While at present, tickets issued from counters have magnetic strips which have to be inserted in turnstiles, the low-cost new RFID device will have wireless tracking sensors which would enable the gates to open without having to insert it.

The new-tech sensor ticket, devised by Centre for Railway Information System, will be tamper proof, he said.