Passengers in Kolkata faced an unexpected hurdle this Sunday as the much-utilized Green Line, part of the East-West Metro corridor, commenced its services a significant three hours behind its usual schedule. Operations began at noon instead of the scheduled 9 am, catching many commuters off guard.
Advanced Testing Leads to Operational Delay
The delay was attributed to advanced signalling trials that were conducted after commercial hours on Saturday night. These tests are a critical part of the ongoing preparations for Kolkata's first driverless train system. Formally known as Automatic Train Operation (ATO) testing, these trials have been underway since August this year.
The ATO represents the third and final stage of the sophisticated communication-based train control (CBTC) signalling technology. Once fully operational, this system will allow trains to run automatically, with motormen primarily responsible for initiating the process and managing door operations at stations.
Passenger Frustration Mounts
The lack of prior communication about the delayed start led to considerable inconvenience. Pradip Manna, a resident of Salt Lake, shared his disappointment. He had planned a Sunday visit to the Dakshineswar temple using the Esplanade interchange facility.
"I came to Karunamoyee station at 8.50 am, only to find that operations were suspended because of some signalling tests," Manna said. He emphasized that this was a scheduled test, not an unforeseen disruption, and expressed that one expects some prior announcement from Metro authorities on such occasions.
The Road to Driverless Travel
The Green Line is set to undergo a series of rigorous trials to achieve full ATO capability. The goal is to enable Metro Railways to launch the fully automated, driverless train service on this alignment by next year. This technological leap is poised to place Kolkata's metro system among the ranks of other major Indian cities adopting similar advanced urban transit solutions.
While the testing is a positive step toward modernization, Sunday's incident highlights the need for improved passenger communication. Ensuring that commuters are well-informed about scheduled maintenance and testing windows can prevent such confusion and inconvenience in the future, as the city moves closer to its driverless metro dream.
