Calcutta tube rail system all set to roll

Interior of the metro coach: spartan but uniqueCalcutta's troubled underground railway still has plenty of snags to overcome before it hits the tracks. But at least it won't have to face any delay for its coaches. The first four modernized coaches with all the special fittings needed for a tube railway were delivered last fortnight to the Metropolitan Transport Project Authority (MTPA) by the Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Madras.Though the coaches are spartan in comparison with the sleek bullets which glide through the bowels of European cities, they have several features which are new in India and which are essential for underground tube systems.To ensure the safety of the passengers the train has a braking system which comes into operation automatically if the train crosses 80 km an hour. The train also has hydraulic doors which are all opened and closed together by the guard who sits at one end of the train. Unless all the doors are closed the train will not move. And if anybody is caught in the doors, as often happens, they open again. To warn people when the train is about to start, the coaches also have a public address system over which the central controller of the train can address the public and contact members of the crew.Essential Design: As in all underground systems the coaches have ventilators fitted in the roof of the coach. This is essential since the glass shutters of the coach cannot be opened.Each coach is designed to carry 300 passengers - though in Calcutta they are more than likely to end up carrying many more. The train's driver sits in the leading coach. Of the four coaches which have been delivered, two are driving units and will be used in the two prototype trains of eight coaches that will run on the 1.5 km test section between Dum Dum and Belgachia as and when this stretch of the track is ready. Improvements and modifications to the coaches, if needed, will be made in the light of experience gained during the test runs.Officials at ICF are satisfied with the fact that they have been able to get the coaches ready on time and without any foreign collaboration. Says ICF General Manager I. M. Sahni: "The original plan was to have foreign collaboration in the design and manufacture of these coaches. It is a matter of pride for ICF that the Railway Ministry decided to entrust this challenging task to ICF."He adds that "this is another feather in the cap of ICF," which, ever since it was started in 1955, has been one of the most successful public sector undertakings in the country. The factory is Asia's largest coach building factory. In the last 25 years it has turned out 13,921 coaches and has a formidable export record as well. The electric traction equipment for the MTPA's coaches is being provided by two other public sector concerns - Bharat Heavy Electricals of Bhopal and New Government Electric Factory (NGEF) of Bangalore. The import content of the prototypes is 30 per cent and efforts are being made at ICF to reduce this even further.In the next few years the ICF will be making 144 coaches for the Calcutta tube rail system. And if the railway does not begin running on schedule it will at least not be the fault of the ICF.Published By: AtMigration Published On: Nov 8, 2013 15:01 IST--- ENDS ---

Download App

Get 37% off on an annual Print +Digital subscription of India Today Magazine

Calcutta tube rail system all set to roll

Calcutta's troubled underground railway still has plenty of snags to overcome before it hits the tracks. But at least it won't have to face any delay for its coaches.

PUBLICATIONS

TELEVISION

EVENTS

RADIO

GAMING

USEFUL LINKS

PRINTING

WELFARE

DISTRIBUTION

SYNDICATIONS

WEBSITES

EDUCATION