Latest news with #CBTC
Time of India
2 days ago
- General
- Time of India
Lone rake pulls Purple Line ops, normal services from today
1 2 3 Kolkata: The currently operational curtailed services of the Joka-Esplanade Metro are likely to continue to face challenges unless new rakes are added immediately. An official, however, said late on Wednesday that normal services would be available from Thursday. Till the beginning of May, the Joka-Majerhat section of the Purple Line ran on a basic signalling system, offering 18 services at 50-minute intervals, from 8.55 am to 3.35 pm. Following the advanced signalling upgrade, 44 services were added from May 9, and the six-hour services doubled. The automatic CBTC or communication-based train control signal helps improve frequencies. Even as the operational window was expanded (8 am to 8 pm), the old system continued, with a single rake running up and down the 8-km corridor, while another remained on standby. In the extreme heat, the CBTC-compliant rakes, which require meticulous maintenance, became overworked, and consequently, the speed slowed down. The targeted 24-minute frequencies couldn't be met, officials said. On Monday evening, one of the rakes (No. 417) failed, following which the reserved train was put into service. Instead of 62 services, 48 were provided at 40-minute intervals. "The Purple Line rake runs at around 30 kmph, covering 8 km in 16-17 minutes. Add 5 minutes for reversing. That's a 24-minute gap between two services, rather tight for an overworked rake," an official said. Kolkata Metro is supposed to receive 20 new eight-coach rakes in the next 10 months for the Purple, Orange (New Garia-Ruby), and Yellow (Noapara-Airport) lines, which are ready for meaningful expansions. "Equipped with an automatic CBTC signalling system, the Medha rakes made in Chennai's Integral Coach Factory should reach Kolkata Metro within the current fiscal," an official said. Another 37 rakes were also ready, but the dispatching schedule had not been finalized, he said. Metro Railway's fully air-conditioned fleet currently includes 31 rakes for the Blue (North-South), three for the Orange, two for the Purple, and 17 six-coach BEML rakes for Green (East-West Metro) lines. "Clearly that's not enough for an expanding Metro network. There aren't enough manpower either to seamlessly run the existing 31km North-South (Blue) line, which ferries six lakh passengers daily, and East-West Metro, with a lakh daily passenger count. When the EW Metro starts its full 16-km length, another five lakh passengers will use the services every day. On top of this, the Purple and Orange lines are being expanded, and the Yellow line is set to roll out," said Subhasis Sengupta, vice-president, INTTUC-affiliated Metro Railway Pragatisil Sramik Karmachari Union. "Metro just about managed when the Purple Line was being run for six hours, on a single shift of workers, with one rake at its disposal. When hours doubled, two shifts were introduced, with limited manpower. The system is bound to fall apart if operations are expanded without strengthening infrastructure."
Time of India
29-04-2025
- Business
- Time of India
BMRCL orders additional metro coaches for Pink Line network expansion
BMRCL This deal is one of the largest coach procurements for BMRCL, with new trains featuring driverless tech and advanced safety –BMRCL official To address the shortage of trains and ensure smooth operations for Phase-2 metro expansions,has signed an agreement with BEML to procure 42 additional coaches (equivalent to seven trains) for the upcoming Pink Line. The ₹405-crore deal aims to prevent train shortages when the Pink Line becomes operational in operational Purple and Green Lines are currently facing a shortage of trains, which has also delayed the launch of the Yellow Line connecting to Electronic similar challenges for the Pink Line between Kalena Agrahara and Nagawara (21.76 km), BMRCL has decided to augment its fleet. In 2023, BMRCL signed a major agreement with BEML to supply 318 coaches (53 trains) for the Blue Line (2A and 2B) connecting to Kempegowda International Airport, and the Pink Line. Of these, 96 coaches were initially earmarked for the Pink Line. To further strengthen the fleet, BMRCL has now extended the previous order to include seven more trains.A BMRCL official said, 'This deal marks one of the largest coach procurement contracts for BMRCL. The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has provided funding support of ₹3,177 crore for the project. The new coaches will feature the latest CBTC (Communications-Based Train Control) technology, enabling driverless operations, and will be built using austenitic stainless steel. Each six-coach train will have two air-conditioning systems per coach, advanced passenger information systems (PIS), high safety features, and superior interior designs.'As per the agreement, each newly added coach will cost ₹19.64 crore, compared to ₹29.99 crore per coach in the earlier tender, which included supply and 15 years of maintenance. For the Blue Line project alone, 96 coaches have been designated for the Central Silk Board–KR Puram (2A) section and 126 coaches for the KR Puram–Airport (2B) stretch. Additional features include Platform Screen Door System (PSDS) integration for enhanced safety, LCD route maps, and automatic electric doors. The coaches will be manufactured at BEML's Metro Rail Shed in Bengaluru, further boosting the city's metro infrastructure, BMRCL official added.
The Hindu
26-04-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
Kolkata Metro's Green Line to remain temporarily suspended
The Kolkata Metro Railways authorities have announced a temporary suspension of services along the East West Metro (Green Line) between Saturday (April 26, 2025) to Monday (April 28, 2025) for testing and inspection for commissioning of the stretch between Esplanade and Sealdah stations in the Green Line. Currently, the Green Line extends in two separate stretches — between Esplanade to Howrah Maidan stations (4.8 km), and between Salt Lake Sector V and Sealdah stations (9.4 km). However, the two-kilometre stretch on the Green Line connecting Sealdah and Esplanade is yet to be completed, owing to delays caused by soil subsidence and water leakage issues in the Bowbazar area. Once completed, the Green Line will connect prime commercial areas of Bidhannagar and Howrah. Services will remain suspended for three days along the entire Green Line for testing of the Communication Based Train Control (CBTC) system and inspection of the Esplanade to Sealdah section. The inter-connecting subway between Sealdah Metro station and Sealdah station of Eastern Railway will also remain closed during those three days. Metro Railway officials had earlier told The Hindu that these tests will 'ensure seamless train operations and reduced room for human error.' Notably, there are reports of an upcoming inspection of the Espalande-Sealdah section of the East West Metro by the Commissioner of Railway Safety. Fire safety checks along the stretch were also conducted earlier this month. Meanwhile, normal services will remain functional along the Blue Line on those three days. Along the Purple Line and Orange Line, normal services will be available on Monday (April 28, 2025). Additionally, after the IPL match at Eden Gardens on Saturday (April 26, 2025), while special Metro services in the Blue Line will be available, special Metro services will not be available in Green Line-2.
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
NYC Transit tackles signal system challenges with training and upgrades
NEW YORK (PIX11) — The signal system keeps the subways running, but it's old and complicated, contributing to many delays. The light you see from the platform is part of the signal system that keeps the trains properly spaced on the tracks and prevents crashes. More Local News Inside NYC Transit Signal School, crews are trained on the system. It's located underground in a station complex under 14th Street in Manhattan. Signal crews are in training for about five months in the classroom and in the field. Signal maintainers learn how the mechanism works, how it operates, and what can go wrong. Most of the signal technology is about a century old, and some of the parts are 60 to 70 years old. NYC Transit President Demetrius Crichlow started with the MTA 28 years ago as a signal man. He celebrated his anniversary with a visit to the training center on Wednesday. He spoke with class members and discussed the challenges of the system. 'It's never just the bulb in the field. It's a complicated system of old relays and track wires that tie into them. They don't know what's causing a failure. We have different crafts to identify the problem and get the right tools there,' he said. NYC Transit stages response teams in busy areas or places with complex operations. In 2009, signal technology was introduced along the L line. Communication Based Train Control (CBTC) is also installed currently along the 7 line. The upgrades allow more trains to run. Maintainers and signal crews are trained in the old and new systems. Projects to install the new signals along the Culver Line in Brooklyn and along the Queens Boulevard line have been funded. More than $5 billion of the next $68 billion capital improvement plan would be spent on new, upgraded signal technology. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Hitachi to deploy CBTC digital signalling on Paris metro line 12
Hitachi Rail has secured a contract, valued at €20m ($20.89m), to implement its communications based train control (CBTC) digital signalling technology on Paris Metro Line 12 in France. The contract, which covers the initial design and installation phase, includes options for additional orders of up to €65m ($67.8m), including maintenance activities. Paris Metro Line 12, spanning 17.2km with 31 stations, will utilise an advanced train control system to enhance capacity and transit operations. This development is part of the OCTYS 2030 programme, aimed at modernising the city's metro system. With the successful operation of metro line 3 and the anticipated commissioning of line 6 in 2025, the upgrade of line 12 represents Hitachi Rail's third CBTC project for the Paris Metro. These projects are part of a partnership between Hitachi Rail and RATP, the operator of the Paris metro, under successive OCTYS programmes. Hitachi Rail France CBTC division head François Destribois said: 'Hitachi Rail's CBTC solutions have been successfully deployed worldwide for decades. 'This new contract underlines our continuous commitment to rail innovation, supporting our clients to modernise key networks such as the Paris metro, one of the busiest in the world.' The CBTC technology, based on RATP's technical specifications, will be designed and deployed by Hitachi Rail. Hitachi's CBTC technology is said to enhance the safety, availability, and scalability of services, contributing to the sustainability of public transport and improving the overall experience for passengers and operators, according to the company. Recently, Hitachi Rail, in partnership with SISINT and Conecticabo, secured two contracts from Infraestruturas de Portugal to modernise telecommunications and deploy an automated Passenger Information System on Lisbon's Cascais Line. "Hitachi to deploy CBTC digital signalling on Paris metro line 12" was originally created and published by Railway Technology, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Sign in to access your portfolio
