Overview
- Indian Railways, which announced the approvals on Saturday, cleared Rs 895.30 crore for Kolkata Metro power works and for rebuilding the ageing Damodar Bridge in South Eastern Railway’s Adra Division.
- Of the total, Rs 671.72 crore goes to the Metro’s North–South Blue Line for seven new traction substations costing Rs 291.06 crore and for upgrades to auxiliary and traction systems, including raising parts of the network from 11 kV to 33 kV.
- The power overhaul is intended to enable 2.5-minute train intervals on the Blue Line, a step up from the roughly five-minute design of the 1980s-era system constrained by ageing substations and scarce spare parts.
- Rs 223.58 crore is earmarked to reconstruct Bridge No. 520 between Madhukunda and Damodar after structural distress on 1903 and 1965 spans along a feeder to the Dedicated Freight Corridors and a coal route linking Asansol and Tatanagar that carries about 67 GMT.
- The announcements did not include tender or completion timelines, so the promised capacity and safety gains will hinge on how quickly contracts are let and work gets underway.