More than 70 new rakes are expected to arrive over the next four years to cater to the expanding Metro Railway network in and around the city, officials.
The carrier has placed orders with the CNR Dalian Locomotive & Rolling Stock Co. and CRRC Zhuzhou Locomotive Company, both based in China, and the Integral Coach Factory, BHEL and BEML in India.
While BEML makes six-coach rakes for East-West Metro, the rakes on other Metro routes are of eight coaches.
"The Metro network now spans 60km. By the end of 2025, it should cover around 80km. By 2028, the Metro network should cover more than 120km, if things go as planned. The number of passengers will grow manifold and we need more rakes to cater to the rising demand," said a senior Metro official.
"In keeping with the expected surge in demand, we have placed orders with multiple providers. More than 70 eight-coach trains are expected to arrive in phases over the next four to five years. We already have 14 six-coach trains for East-West Metro. Three more are being commissioned," the official said.
The city's Metro network now includes 31km of the north-south Metro (Blue Line) between Kavi Subhash (New Garia) and Dakshineswar, the longest, oldest and most populous route.
The East-West corridor (Green Line) is now operational in two parts — 9.4km in Phase I (between Sector V and Sealdah) and 4.8km in Phase 2 (between Howrah Maidan and Esplanade).
The Metro network also includes 5.4km of the New Garia-Ruby section (Orange Line) and 8km of the Joka-Majerhat section (Purple Line).
The projects nearing completion include the 8km Ruby-Sector V extension of the Orange Line, the 7km Noapara-Jai Hind Bimanbandar section (the first phase of the Yellow Line between Noapara and Barasat) and the 2.5km Esplanade-Sealdah section, which, once ready, will mark the completion of the east-west corridor connecting Sector V and Howrah Maidan.
The existing Metro fleet includes 36 eight-coach trains and 14 six-coach trains. The eight-coach fleet includes 13 old BHEL rakes, five Dalian rakes, 13 new Medha rakes and five old Medha rakes.
The six-coach trains are only for the Green Line and the eight-coach trains are for the rest of the corridors.
The carrier had placed orders for 14 rakes with Dalian, five of which have arrived and nine more are to follow. Eight rakes from Zhuzhou, which will be assembled at Integral Coach Factory in Perambur, near Chennai, are also in the pipeline, said sources in the carrier.
But the mainstay of the Metro fleet is going to be the indigenous Medha rake — the new lot of trains built at the Perambur factory. Orders have been placed for 57 Medha rakes and four more BHEL rakes, both indigenous, Metro sources said.
When all the rakes are delivered, the fleet size of the eight-coach trains will be 114. They will be used in the Blue Line, Orange Line, Yellow Line and Purple Line.
The Green Line will have a dedicated fleet of 17 six-coach trains.
Two Dalian rakes arrived in Calcutta in the second week of January.
"Most of the remaining Dalian rakes should arrive by the end of 2025. Some Medha rakes are also due for arrival by the end of this year," said an official.
