The Metro timetable is back.
The north-south corridor (Blue Line) schedule has been disrupted following the cessation of commercial activities at Kavi Subhash (New Garia) station from July 28, after cracks were identified in the platform pillars. This situation led the carrier to withdraw the timetable from its website, as it had become exceedingly difficult to adhere to a schedule.
Approximately a week ago, the schedule for the Blue Line was once again posted on the website.
Delays and disruptions had become the norm in the immediate aftermath of the suspension of operations at the southern terminal of the city’s most popular Metro link.
Blue Line trains are now being terminated at Shahid Khudiram (Briji) in the south. But it lacks infrastructure commensurate with a terminal station. The longer turnaround time needed for a train to switch direction from south to north had a cascading effect on the entire corridor.
In the second week of September, the carrier introduced a tweak. Several trains headed south were terminated at Mahanayak Uttam Kumar (Tollygunge) station before they began their northward journey. For a considerable time, Tollygunge has functioned as the southern terminal and has the necessary infrastructure for trains to switch their routes.
Since January 19, all south-bound trains on the north-south corridor (Blue Line) are running till Shahid Khudiram. No train is being terminated at Tollygunge, an official said.
“We have done some modifications in the signalling system at Shahid Khudiram and Kavi Subhash. A nod from the commissioner of railway safety was needed before we could do the changes. It involved some hardware modifications as well. The entire process took some time. The new system is in place now,” said the official.
A Metro spokesperson said: “Modifications in signalling arrangement between Shahid Khudiram and Kavi Subhash were done and suitable timetable management was also done in such a manner where in there is no need to terminate/originate trains at Tollygunge station any more”.
The termination of some trains in Tollygunge came with its own share of problems. Although announcements were made, many passengers who headed beyond Tollygunge refused to vacate the train.
On several occasions, passengers have nearly come to blows with Metro staff at Tollygunge.
The next train headed to Shahid Khudiram became much more crowded than usual. Doors often would not close because of the crowd, causing further delays.
“These problems are now over,” said the Metro official.
The carrier runs 272 trains on the Blue Line every weekday. The first and last trains usually depart the terminal stations at around 6.50am and 9.45pm, respectively.
Metro sources stated that the timetable has been uploaded again because the trains are now running according to a fixed schedule between Dakshineswar and Shahid Khudiram.
Technical glitches and suicide bids are still the bane of the Blue Line. However, the impact of the closure of New Garia has been partially tackled with the new modifications.
The carrier also needs a new rake reversal point at Shahid Khudiram. A weekend traffic block will be required to finish the work. A raze-and-rebuild project at New Garia, scheduled to take six to seven months, is expected to commence once the new reversal point is ready.