New Delhi, 2 May. Indian Railways has approved major projects worth Rs 895.30 crore to strengthen the infrastructure of railway bridges and upgrade the electrical systems of Metro Rail. The aim of these plans is to improve safety, capacity and operational efficiency.
Major upgrade of Kolkata Metro’s electrical system
A project worth Rs 671.72 crore has been approved to strengthen the North-South corridor of Kolkata Metro. Under this, seven new traction substations will be built and the existing 11 KV power system will be upgraded to 33 KV.
This upgrade will bring a big change in the operational efficiency of the metro. Whereas earlier trains used to run at an interval of five minutes, now they have got approval to run at an interval of 2.5 minutes, which will help in meeting the increasing passenger demand in a better way.
Challenges were coming from the old system
It is noteworthy that the metro system developed in the 1980s has now reached the limit of its capacity. There were maintenance problems due to old substations and lack of spare parts in the equipment. The new upgrades will make power supply more reliable and improve the quality of service.
Bridge project approved in Adra division
Bridge infrastructure will be strengthened in Adra division of South Eastern Railway at a cost of Rs 223.58 crore. The infrastructure of the old bridge (No. 520) on the Madhukunda-Damodar section, which was built in 1903 and 1965 and is now debilitated, will be rebuilt.
Goods transportation and industries will benefit
This section is an important railway link between Asansol and Tatanagar and is also part of the coal corridor. This project will improve safety, reliability and operational efficiency. Also, major industries of Durgapur-Asansol region will get the benefit of better rail connectivity.
Steps towards modern and safe rail network
Through these projects, Indian Railways is moving towards a modern, safe and high capacity rail system. The metro upgrade will provide better facilities to passengers, while the bridge project will strengthen freight and industrial connectivity.
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