Dakshineswar Metro won’t chug before December: GM

KOLKATA: North-South Metro’s 4-km Dakshineswar extension can’t be unveiled before December, Metro Railway GM Manoj Joshi said. The crucial Train Protection Warning System (TPWS) equipment, a sophisticated accident prevention technology, is yet to arrive from Germany because of the lockdown restrictions, said Joshi.
Even as engineers and workers of the implementing agency, Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL), are working overtime to complete the stretch and stations and tracks are getting finishing touches, the section can’t be readied for commissioning unless TPWS is installed. The purpose of TPWS is to stop a train by automatically initiating a brake demand, where the TPWS track equipment is fitted. “The TPWS equipment was supposed to come from Germany’s Siemens in March, but ran into lockdown restrictions. If the software comes sometime soon, we can expect commissioning of the 4-km stretch in December,” Joshi said.
Meanwhile, the stations and tracks will be readied and the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) will be invited for inspection. On Monday, Metro Railway officials convened a video-conference with their counterparts in RVNL to take stock of the readiness of the Dakshineswar extension.