Kolkata: Kolkata Metro has received a crucial nod from the Commission of Railway Safety (CRS) for a solution to maintain Blue Line timings, allowing maintenance of 98 per cent operational accuracy.
Till now, CRS doesn’t allow a Metro rake to leave the second-last southern terminal, Shahid Khudiram, before the preceding one turned at the terminal Kavi Subhash station to head northwards.
The stricture was a safety precaution to ensure only one train was on the tracks between Kavi Subhash and Shahid Khudiram.
Shahid Khudiram’s viaduct slopes down to Kavi Subhash, a ground-level station.
Kolkata Metro urged CRS to relax this norm as operations at Kavi Subhash have been suspended since 28 July 2025.
Only empty trains are driven along the gradient to use the crossover at Kavi Subhash station.
With CRS lifting the diktat temporarily, all 172 trains (Up and Down) can now go up to Kavi Subhash and switch tracks, enabling Metro to maintain 98 per cent operational accuracy.
The temporary relaxation allows trains to move towards the terminal stations even as empty trains move from the opposite direction.
The new Southern terminal, Shahid Khudiram, lacks the crossover facility and trains were driven to the now-suspended Kavi Subhas station at New Garia for track-switching.
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