Kolkata, Feb 4 (PTI) Services will be suspended along the entire East-West corridor of Kolkata Metro in two spells this month to test the Communication-based Train Control (CBTC) system, an official said on Tuesday.
The Kolkata Metro Railway spokesperson said there will be a complete 'traffic block' on Green Line (Howrah Maidan-Sector 5 stretch or East-West corridor) from February 13-16 and February 20-23.
In Metro Railway parlance, 'traffic block' means suspension of train services.
After the successful completion of tunnelling work between Esplanade and Sealdah stations, Kolkata Metro Railway authorities were confident of starting operations along the entire corridor within this year and trains will run under the state-of-the-art CBTC system, which is followed in all modern metro networks across the world.
"After the successful completion of tunnelling work between Esplanade and Sealdah stations, we are now planning a complete traffic block in two spells from February 13 to 16 and from February 20 to 23 (four days each including Saturdays and Sundays) for testing of the CBTC system for the entire Green Line corridor from Howrah Maidan to Salt Lake Sector 5," he said.
Currently, metro services are available along the corridor from Howrah Maidan to Esplanade and from Sealdah to Sector 5.
Due to cave-in during tunnelling work at Bowbazar along the Esplanade-Sealdah stretch and seepage of underground water in September 2019 as the boring machine hit an aquifer and at least two more similar incidents in subsequent years, services could not be commenced along the 2.5-km-long Esplanade-Sealdah stretch of the 16.6-km-long East-West corridor.
Trains now run along two disjointed sections -- the 9.4-km stretch from Sector 5 to Sealdah and a 4.8-km section from Esplanade to Howrah Maidan. PTI SUS ACD