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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
 Posted - 08/22/2009 : 23:57:40
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Mamata flags off Tollygunge-Garia metro, state government upset
http://news.webindia123.com/news/ar_showdetails.asp?id=908220442&cat=&n_date=20090822
Kolkata |Saturday, 2009 10:35:43 PM IST
Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee Saturday inaugurated the much-awaited six-km expanded stretch of the city's Metro railway from Tollygunge to Garia Bazar in the southern fringes, but West Bengal's ruling Left Front (LF) cried foul as Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee was not invited for the function.
"Metro railway is the pride of the city. I had announced the expansion in 1999. It's great that I have been able to inaugurate it myself," Banerjee said at the programme.
She also renamed the existing Tollygunge Metro station after late Bengali matinee idol Uttam Kumar, while the Garia Bazar station was renamed after noted Bengali poet Kazi Nazrul Islam.
The Garia Bazar-Tollygunge section has three other stations - at Kudhghat, Naktala and Bansdroni.
Governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi and union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee were present along with a galaxy of representatives from the Bengali film industry such as veteran actor and Uttam Kumar's consort Supriya Devi, actor Prasenjit, Koel Mallik, Ranjit Mallik and danseuse Amala Shankar.
Gandhi congratulated Banerjee for extending the Metro route and disclosed that he came to the function riding the Metro from Esplanade in the city's hub.
Mukherjee said: "Mamata has done a great job by naming Tollygunge station after
Uttam Kumar."
But LF chairman Biman Bose alleged the railway minister had arranged a political
programme with government funds.
"When Delhi's Metro rail was inaugurated, Chief Minister Shila Dixit was invited. But in today's programme, our chief minister was not even invited," Bose pointed, adding that state Transport Minister Ranjit Kundu got an invitation just a day before the function.
"This is not the right thing. It's an exceptional incident and politically motivated," Bose maintained.
Kundu said he got an official facsimile Friday from the office of the Metro Railways.
"Such an incident has never happened in our state. We are also a partner to this joint venture and the state government contributed one-third of the total expenditure to this metro expansion project," the transport minister said.
"The railways should keep the state government in confidence while inaugurating such initiatives," he added.
With the expansion, the 22.50 km distance between Garia Bazaar (the
southern-most Metro station) and Dumdum (the last station located in the city's extreme northern fringes) would be covered in just 41 minutes.
The expansion will benefit city commuters residing in the southern fringes. Commuters will be able to avail of the Metro on the extended route from Sunday.
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 08/25/2009 : 09:56:30
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Rush hour throws Metro off track, officials need time
http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/rush-hour-throws-metro-off-track-officials-need-time/506784/
Aug 25, 2009 at 0447 hrs IST
Kolkata Metro authorities on Monday admitted that they needed time to deal with a huge rush of passengers following the extension of the railway from Tollygunge to Garia.
Meanwhile, commuters residing at Garia, Naktala or Bansdroni who availed the Metro service from their locality on Monday, were happy as the new service would help them save time and money.
Almost all Metro stations were crowded on Monday. Passengers who were dependent on bus services to reach the heart of the city were seen availing of the Metro.
An official of the Metro rail, meanwhile, admitted that they have identified the problems in the new sections. He said that the frequency of six minutes in train services could not be maintained on Monday during the office hours and as a result passengers had to wait at the platforms for a long time. The official said the services were delayed by two-three minutes.
The Metro railway had 18 rakes which covered 16 kilometers from Tollygunge to Dum Dum. Now Metro rail will have to cover 22 kilometers with the same number of rakes. The official said that the authorities were aware of the technicalities and they were trying to maintain the frequency of trains in peak hours.
Chief Public Relations Officer R N Mahapatra said two new rakes will be added in September. An official said that the number of ticket counters at the four new Metro stations would also be increased soon.
Some passengers, however, alleged the automatic gates were not working at the new stations, while others pointed out that the frequency of trains were not maintained.
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 08/26/2009 : 10:56:57
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Metro losing out on trust?
http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=22&theme=&usrsess=1&id=266139
KOLKATA, 25 AUG: Ever since trains started plying on the extended Metro railway route covering the four new stations between Tollygunge and Garia Bazar, passengers have gotten an opportunity to complain about one thing or the other, about their long-trusted tube-rail services.
These complaints are hardly empty as the commuters are facing problems such as delay, overcrowding in compartments, to name a few.
But there is one problem that the Metro Railway authorities are having to deal
with, the repercussions of which are again being felt by the commuters.
Manning ticket counters in the four additional stations on the extended route has exposed the problem of staff crunch in the Metro Railway. Some of their existing staff who had been working at the 17 stations between Dum Dum and Tollygunge, have now been sent on deployment to the new stations. As a result the staff strength at the old stations have gone down. Meanwhile, the requirement of staff for convenient services at the new stations was never met
with.
Long queues in front of the ticket counters has become a regular phenomenon, as there is shortfall of manpower at almost all stations.
Even earlier, when the new stations were not in operation, Metro Railway was going through a staff crisis at the existing 17 stations. To meet the rush, authorities would keep two or more counters open during the peak hours and only one counter was kept open through the rest of the day. During the peak hours, the contractual staff and the porter of the station manager, who are actually not supposed to run the ticket counters, would often be pressed into the job. According to a station master, more than 40 staff including the contractual staff are required in two shifts at each station for
the smooth operation of the services.
He added that due to staff crunch passengers were being inconvenienced as they were having to stand in long queues, but they were accustomed with that problem. Now, with shifting of staff, the problem has become more acute, he alleged. “With the start of the Metro service in extended route, more people are availing the services and thus we are facing great difficulties to provide
service to the commuters. During crisis, the contractual staff and the porter are asked to run the ticket counters apart from their regular job,” said the
station master.
Mr Jayanta Mitra, chief commercial manager of Metro Railway, admitted to the
problem.
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 08/26/2009 : 10:58:35
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Before the ride, comes the hellway
http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=22&theme=&usrsess=1&id=266140
KOLKATA, 25 AUG: If the Metro Railway authorities gloss the malfunctioning system of its services on the Tollygunge-Garia extended section as “teething troubles”, the abysmal approach road to the Master Da Surya Sen Station (Bansdroni) is an eyesore. The entire stretch on one flank of Tolly’s nullah leading to the station is as slushy and muddy as a road can get.
The cratered surface could prove to be a deathtrap after evening, as lights are
missing as well.
Many passengers complained today that they had to negotiate the approach road with great difficulty during the day as the rains had done its bit. Railway minister Miss Mamata Banerjee had explained that inconveniences would be caused as the services had to be opened without any further delay. However, transport minister Mr Ranjit Kundu pointed out that predecessor Subhas Chakraborty had suggested proper planning before opening the services to the people.
The passengers on the new section have by and large welcomed the services, however faulty, as a boon as they have been freed from the daily harassment of negotiating with bus and auto operators.
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 08/26/2009 : 11:00:59
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Metro runs on trouble track >
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1090826/jsp/calcutta/story_11407360.jsp
inconvenienced commuters for the third consecutive day.
Passengers were stranded at various stations for up to 30 minutes with trains being held up by signalling snags, delays in changing tracks at Shahid Khudiram (Birji) and shortage of rakes to cope with the rush.
“I had to wait half an hour at Shyambazar station in the afternoon to board a train to Kavi Nazrul (Garia Bazar). Passengers were almost hanging out of the doors, preventing them from closing. I could not get into two trains,” said 26-year-old Payel Mukherjee, a nurse at RG Kar Hospital.
The Metro authorities pressed two additional rakes into service in the evening but there was no respite from delays.
“Till Monday, we would operate 16 of the 18 available rakes. Two of the rakes are meant for emergencies. But we had to use all the rakes on Tuesday because of the rush,” said a senior official.
Monday’s passenger count was 5.33 lakh, up from the weekday average of 4.25 lakh.
The authorities announced on Tuesday that the last four trains leaving from Dum Dum would now terminate at Mahanayak Uttam Kumar (Tollygunge) instead of Kavi Nazrul as the car shed was located there.
“The last train from Dum Dum to travel till Kavi Nazrul will leave at 8.45pm. The last train from Kavi Nazrul to Dum Dum will leave at 9.21 pm,” said an official.
J.K.Mitra, the chief operating officer, admitted that the “birth pangs” being faced by Metro Railway since the inauguration of the extended route were proving to be more painful than he had anticipated.
“The signalling snags and problems in changing tracks at Shahid Khudiram prevailed on Tuesday. Our officials are on the job and we hope to resolve these issues by next week,” Mitra said.
Apart from a shortage of rakes, Metro Railway is facing a manpower crunch. Four stations have been added to the route — not counting Shahid Khudiram, to which only the trains go — but the number of booking clerks remains 325.
“We are making do with the staff who manned the 17 old stations,” an official said.
Commuters complained about problems while buying tickets and turnstiles not working at Masterda Surya Sen and Kavi Nazrul. Only two ticket counters were open at each of the four new stations.
A Metro official said the faulty turnstiles were not being replaced because the exit and entry system was set to change with the introduction of a “smart-token system”.
On whether the problems plaguing Metro would be solved before Puja, Mitra said: “We will most certainly do that but we need 70 additional personnel. Till then, we will work in double shifts so that commuters do not face any problems.”
Two new rakes are expected to arrive before Puja and 13 more, including air-conditioned ones, will join the fleet early next year.
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 08/30/2009 : 08:12:15
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After station, it's a stamp in Uttam Kumar's
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/NEWS/City/Kolkata-/After-station-its-a-stamp-in-Uttam-Kumars-name/articleshow/4949865.cms
30 August 2009, 04:45am IST
KOLKATA: Barely days after railway minister Mamata Banerjee renamed the Tollygunge Metro station as Mahanayak Uttam Kumar, the department of posts has decided to issue a stamp in the matinee idol's memory.
The stamp will be released on September 3 Uttam Kumar's 83rd birth anniversary
by Governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi at Uttam Mancha. Ritwik Ghatak, Hemant Kumar, SD Burman and Kishore Kumar are some of the personalities associated with Bengal's film industry in whose name stamps have been released.
Bollywood stars like Prithviraj Kapoor, Guru Dutt and Nargis Dutt have also found pride of place in the albums of philatelists. Uttam Kumar fans believe it is unfortunate that it took the authorities so long to propose his name to the postal department. The stamp will come out at a time when the department is [gv][/gv]considering bringing out stamps on today's icons such as Shah Rukh Khan, Sania
Mirza and Sachin Tendulkar.
Actor-MP Tapas Pal had first proposed a stamp in Uttam Kumar's memory. Mamata
then took up the matter with officials concerned. "I had first placed the matter
before the Assembly when I was an MLA. I had asked the state government to do
something in Uttam Kumar's memory. I had an archive in mind. Finally, I
approached didi with my proposal and she promptly decided to rename Tollygunge
station after him. Uttam Kumar's daughter-in-law called up to express her
gratitude. I told her that all credit goes to didi. We cannot think of Tollywood without thinking of Uttam Kumar. He was the greatest. It is high time we recognise his contribution. I am extremely happy that the postal department has agreed to bring out the stamp," Pal told TOI.
Pal also approached the Union minister of culture and tourism with a proposal to accord industry status to Tollywood. "This is an old demand, which has never been addressed by those in power," he said.
Uttam Kumar's grandson Gaurav had said during the inauguration of the Metro
extension that his father Gautam had always dreamt that the actor would be
accorded due respect.
The man who held sway over the Bengali film industry was born in Kolkata as Arun
Kumar Chatterjee on September 3, 1926. He also starred in two Satyajit Ray
films, including Nayak . Uttam Kumar acted in some Hindi films Chhoti Si Mulaqat, Amanush, Ananda Ashram, Kitaab and Dooriyan as well.
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 09/03/2009 : 19:30:56
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Race for Metro link to airport
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/city/kolkata-/Race-for-Metro-link-to-airport/articleshow/4966120.cms
3 September 2009, 04:04am IST
KOLKATA:
Earlier this week, the (north-south) Metro railway authorities have prioritised the metro-link to the airport. "We have sent the feasibility report on the Metro's airport link to the railway board for its nod. The Metro link to the airport is an absolute necessity now. It would also ensure a major increase in footfall for the Metro," said a senior Metro official.
The East-West Metro's principal funding agency, Japan Bank of International Cooperation (JBIC), on the other hand, has already approved a Rs 800-crore project to build its own airport link. The 6.5-km elevated arm, which would run along the Bagjola canal, would go underground from near the airport hotel and terminate just below the integrated terminal building. People taking the Metro would just
be an escalator ride away from the security-check zone on the surface.
The north-south Metro will go further north from Dum Dum till Noapara its carshed and then take another underground transit till Dum Dum Cantonment. From Dum Dum Cantonment to the airport, it will run on existing elevated tracks that EMU rakes use now. The 3.2-km elevated track, built at Rs 112 crore, remains a symbol of colossal waste as of now. So far, only two EMUs run to and from the airport to the Biman Bandar station.
In most other major cities, the airport is linked with an efficient
mass-rapid-transit system. But Kolkata remains an exception, despite having a Metro network.
Metro Railway had earlier suggested that instead of terminating nearly a kilometre from the terminal building, the Metro may terminate somewhere close to the domestic terminal. But the authorities are now thinking of a walkalator'.
"This would facilitate easy modal shift from the Metro to the airline counters. In this age of no-frill airlines, no passenger will like to spend Rs 500 on cabs after flying a distance for just Rs 3,500," said a senior Metro railway official.
Transport department officers said the competition is good for the city and the state. The city, which is bursting at its seams, desperately needs an efficient mass-rapid transit system. "If two Metro systems meet at the airport, it would give commuters a lot of choice," said a transport department official.
The transport department study emphasised on a mass-rapid-transit (MRT) connectivity of the airport with the rest of the city. Currently, the annual passenger-handling capacity of the two terminals is six million. Once the integrated building becomes operational, it will jump to 20 million. While 6,000 private cars and taxis now visit the airport daily, the figure will go up to 24,000 after modernisation. The MRT system can take a lot of pressure off its
passenger-dispersal system.
"There has been a tremendous change in profile of air passengers in the last three to four years. So, the metro link is more than necessary," said the state's chief traffic and transportation engineer, B K Sadhu.
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 09/10/2009 : 11:33:06
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Kolkata Metro has been neglected: Mamata
http://www.ptinews.com/news/273856_Kolkata-Metro-has-been-neglected--Mamata
Kolkata, Sep 9 (PTI) Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee tonight said that the Metro Rail in Kolkata had been neglected in the last five years with drivers not being recruited.
"Metro Railway was not given adequate back up, but I want to give full back up support to it. I want Metro Railway to run smoothly because it is the pride of the city."
Alleging that the CPI(M) did not want the underground railway to run smoothly, the Railways Minister who had inaugurated the extended Tollygunge to Garia Bazar on August 22, asked the people not to be misled by the "false propaganda of Marxists."
She also announced that Sikkim's capital Gangtok would be linked by the rail to Darjeeling district in West Bengal.
"Railway lines will connect Sevoke and Gangtok and the 52.7 km line will cost 1,339 crore," she said.
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 09/10/2009 : 11:35:46
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Delhi duo inspect trouble tracks
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1090910/jsp/calcutta/story_11475394.jsp
Delhi duo inspect trouble tracks - Metro delay and overcrowding come under the Railway Board scanner
The Metro Railway mess, caused by the route extension from August 23 without adequate planning, has come under the scanner of the Railway Board.
Two senior officials from Delhi spent Tuesday and Wednesday inspecting the fault lines of Calcutta’s most preferred transit system now struggling to cope with
the additional 5.83km stretch.
Sources said reports carried by The Telegraph on Monday (see grab), highlighting the problems of the Metro, had prompted the sudden inspection by two additional members of the Railway Board.
Vijay Kumar Dutt (additional member electrical) and Chandra Pal Verma
(additional member signal and telecom), inspected the maintenance, services,
signalling and other operational facilities of Metro Railway over two days.
“We have visited the new route, spoken to passengers and inspected other facilities and operational systems,” Dutt told Metro on Wednesday afternoon before leaving the city. “There is scope for improvement and we will be taking the necessary steps to make the facilities better.”
According to sources, the duo held meetings with senior Metro officials, reviewed the performance and discussed possible solutions. They quizzed passengers about delays, overcrowding and other problems faced since the Tollygunge-Garia Bazar stretch was opened. They will be preparing a report on their return to Delhi.
Metro officials claimed on Wednesday that things were rapidly returning to normal. “The delays have been minimised and extra manpower is being deployed at ticket counters to prevent overcrowding,” said a Metro official.
But when the two Railway Board officials were doing the rounds, trains were
running late, sources said. “The delay time has been brought down but
punctuality remains a problem,” they admitted.
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 10/09/2009 : 09:17:12
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Many stranded as Kolkata Metro hit by power snag
http://www.hindu.com/2009/10/09/stories/2009100957730100.htm
KOLKATA: Thousands of commuters of the city’s Metro Railway were stranded during the peak office hours on Thursday because a technical snag in the power supply line caused a disruption of services along the entire line for almost an hour and nearly a three-hour shutdown in the southern section that was extended about eight weeks ago.
Metro Railway General Manager V. N. Tripathi has ordered an inquiry into the matter and asked for a report within three-four days.
“An enquiry of senior level officers has been ordered.
Action will be taken against them on the basis of the enquiry,” Mr. Tripathi said.
At around 10-30 a.m. there was some problem with a rake near Shahid Khudiram station that led to an electrical fault in the third rail, which supplies power to the system, a spokesperson for Metro Railway said.
“For about 45 minutes, services along the entire line were disrupted, while the section from Uttam Kumar station to Kavi Nazrul station remained shut until 1-20 p.m.,” he said.
The ordeal for commuters wasn’t over even after services resumed as the trains were overcrowded to clear the backlog of passengers. Nearly 5 lakh people use the Metro services everyday.
The extension of Metro services from Tollygunge (Uttam Kumar station) to
Gariabazar (Kavi Nazrul station) has been mired with controversy ever since it was inaugurated on August 22. Passengers have complained of trains running late and several media reports about inadequate infrastructure have appeared.
Officials however, deny that there are any serious lapses: “When any new service is introduced there will be a few hitches, but there have been no major technical snags in the extended line.”
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 10/14/2009 : 20:01:54
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Metro service disrupted in Kolkata due to technical snag
PTI 14 October 2009, 11:53am IST
KOLKATA: Metro rail services were disrupted here following a technical snag putting office goers in great difficulty on
Wednesday.
Metro railway sources said that around 10 am the third line which supplies power developed a crack at the Jatin Das Park station when a Dum Dum-bound train was passing. The train was immediately stopped and the passengers were evacuated.
This had led to dislocation of the service in the entire railway stretch. The authorities, however, made arrangements to operate services between Dum Dum and Maidan station.
The fault has been attended to and normal service is likely to be normal by noon, the sources said.
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 11/11/2009 : 08:44:58
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Metro link to airport on railway radar
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1091111/jsp/calcutta/story_11726479.jsp
A new Metro connection is set to take off soon to make the airport commute smoother for fliers.
A Rs 300-crore proposal has been sent to the Railway Board to convert the airport’s suburban rail link into a Metro route extending till Noapara, where a new station would be built.
A walkalator — similar to the escalator except that it covers horizontal instead of vertical distance — will also be installed from Biman Bandar station to the new integrated airport terminal to spare passengers the trouble of walking some distance with luggage.
One of the problems being faced by inbound passengers using the suburban train service is the distance from the terminal to the station that has to be covered on foot and then the steep climb to first-floor level.
“The Metro conversion proposal was sent to Delhi recently after a survey. The connection is being planned in such a way that fliers from the southern and
northern suburbs of the city would prefer to take the Metro to the airport instead of going by car,” a senior official of Metro Railway said on Tuesday.
Railway Board sources said the proposal was likely to be approved soon.
“We want Metro connectivity to the airport to be ready by the time the integrated terminal comes up,” an official said from New Delhi.
The commissioning target for the integrated terminal is May 2011.
Eastern Railway runs nine pairs of trains between Dum Dum and Biman Bandar
stations but there are very few takers for the service.
“We hardly get passengers on this route, which explains why the frequency of trains has not been increased all these years,” said an official of Eastern Railway.
According to Metro Railway’s proposal, the existing track from Dum Dum Cantonment to the airport will be retained because both Metro and suburban trains run on broad gauge lines.
“The existing overhead power supply will have to be replaced with the third-rail power supply system that our rakes require,” explained a Metro Railway engineer.
The elevated track laid a few years ago was merged with the suburban line near Dum Dum Cantonment.
A Metro station at Noapara will be the passenger interchange point. “One of
the platforms will be used for trains bound for the airport while the other will be for those headed for Dum Dum Junction and onward to Garia,” an official said.
The route could be stretched from Noapara to Baranagar later.
According to officials, the new line would be aligned with the airport terminal for the convenience of passengers. The international terminal is presently around 200 metres from the station.
Once the new terminal comes up, it will be shifted by another 200 metres from the station.
“Accordingly, the station will also be shifted, aligning it with the terminal
so that the distance will remain 200 metres. Walkalators will allow passengers
to carry luggage without any problem,” an official said.
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 11/15/2009 : 04:25:28
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Suicide trauma scars drivers
Jayanta Gupta, TNN 15 November 2009, 05:11am IST
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata-/Suicide-trauma-scars-drivers/articleshow/5231587.cms
KOLKATA: Frequent deaths on Metro tracks are leaving a lasting impression on the minds of motormen whose trains are selected by depressed souls trying to end their lives. According to senior Metro Railway officials, motormen forced to drive their trains over people with suicidal tendencies find it extremely difficult to resume duty, even days after the incidents.
"Though we are constantly told that we are not to blame, the incident plays at the back of our minds. Some of us are completely shattered and have to be assisted while moving the train forward of back to extract the bodies. Family members also have a tough time, as some motormen keep repeating details and explain how they applied brakes but could not stop in time," said one of them. "One motorman would come to us and repeat how the man looked straight into his eyes before jumping down, even days after the incident."
The impact is not so great on motormen of EMU locals or drivers of long-distance trains as, in most cases, they cannot see the person being run over. Suicides at Metro stations occur in a confined space and people jump from the platforms, where motormen can clearly see them. Metro is now considering providing psychological counselling to motormen who undergo the ordeal.
"Matters such as these came up for discussion at a safety seminar organised by Metro Railway on Saturday," said R Mahapatra, CPRO, Metro Railway. "A number of motormen were present at the seminar and put forward their views. We are also planning to increase vigilance at stations. It has been noted that those who commit suicide loiter on the platforms for some time before jumping. From now on, people moving around aimlessly on platforms may be questioned and evicted. Over the last few years, many lives have been saved by our station staff after receiving calls from frantic family members".
According to him, calls are often received at Metro stations from family members of people who left home after a spat. The callers, normally those living near Metro stations, request staff to keep a lookout for people, whose descriptions they give. In a number of cases, such people have been stopped either on their way to the platforms or after they have managed to get there.
Those who run helplines for depressed people believe that the Metro should do more to raise awareness. Though the law forbids passengers from getting too close to the edges of platforms before trains stop, few are actually pulled up even if they cross the marker.
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 11/17/2009 : 11:01:36
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Kolkata Metro completes 25 years - unheralded
http://www.calcuttanews.net/story/566418
Calcutta News.Net
Tuesday 17th November, 2009 (IANS)
Amid the euphoria over the fast expanding Delhi Metro, the country's first underground metro railway service here has completed 25 years, virtually unnoticed and unsung.
Punctual to the minute and fast, the Kolkata Metro Railway has been winning plaudits from commuters for its smooth rides and cleanliness in a city otherwise known for its traffic snarls, potholed streets and squalor.
The Metro, which started its journey on Oct 24, 1984, carries half a million passengers daily and safely from the city's southern outskirts Garia Bazar to the northern tip Dum Dum.
'It has never reported any derailment, fatality or structural collapse,' M. Seshagiri Rao, retired managing director and chairman of Rail India Technical and Economic Services (RITES), told IANS.
Constructed entirely by Indian Railway engineers, without help from a single foreign consultant or foreign contractor, the major stretch of the Metro lies below sea level.
'Here there are no unsightly viaducts casting ugly shadows over historic boulevards,' said Rao, drawing a contrast to the Delhi Metro, which is mostly elevated. 'Visitors travelling by car here are not even aware that there are trains running below them under busy hubs of Chowringhee, Chittaranjan Avenue or Shyambazar.'
It is also an eco-friendly transport system that does not emit any harmful gas, as it runs on electricity. Closed circuit cameras installed at all stations are monitored from the control room in the nodal office to ensure security.
Beginning with five stations spread over 3.4 km, the Metro now connects 21 stations, traversing 22.28 km. There is a plan to add another station this year (2009-10), taking the total distance covered to 23.56 km.
'The main mantra for its success is its cheap, affordable fare (Rs.4 to Rs.12 per ride). Every day, about 500,000 passengers patronise it. The kind of service we provide is reflected in the ever-rising number of commuters,' Kolkata Metro Railway general manager V.N. Tripathi told IANS.
School teacher Ruma Dey said she takes the Metro daily for its punctuality. 'If I miss my scheduled train in the morning I am sure I can board another one after just six minutes. I don't think any other public transport can give this assurance.'
Tripathi said: 'To maintain this high level of punctuality everybody has to contribute because frequency of trains is so high during the day that there is hardly any maintenance time.'
He gave credit for the stations' cleanliness to the passengers. 'Credit should go to the users as well as railway staff who are maintaining rakes and stations. No edibles are taken. The sense of belonging of city dwellers helps to keep it clean.'
Former Olympian footballer P.K. Banerjee, who was showcased in the classic national integration video 'Mile Sur Mera Tumhara' as alighting from the Metro, told IANS: 'I am amazed at the cleanliness of the Metro stations. I have very high regard for the Kolkata Metro.'
The turnover of the Metro Railway last year (2008-09) was Rs.750 million and this year (2009-10) it is expected to be around Rs.850 million with the addition of five more stations, Tripathi said.
On any working day 213 trains ply from 7 a.m. to 9.45 p.m. and on Sundays 65 trains run from 2 p.m. to 9.45 p.m.
However, all the 18 existing rakes - none of them air-conditioned - are at least 15 years old.
The Metro head said rakes are withdrawn if there is the slightest of problems, adding that in two years, all the rakes would be air-conditioned.
Thirteen air-conditioned rakes are being manufactured at the Integral Coach Factory, Perambur. 'Of them, two prototypes we are expecting to be delivered by the last quarter (January-March) of this financial year (2009-10),' Tripathi said.
'Apart from these 13, we will have another 14 state-of-the-art rakes.'
Each rake will cost Rs.300 million.
Tripathi said once the new rakes were made available, 11 of the existing rakes would be discarded, and the remaining seven upgraded with air-conditioning facilities.
There are also plans to add smoke extractors in all the 15 underground stations and install a new ticketing system.
Asked about the repeated suicide incidents in the Metro stations, Tripathi said: 'These are unfortunate incidents...social conditions need to be created so that people are not tempted to commit suicide and the responsibility lies probably with the whole society.'
Eminent economist Abhirup Sarkar said: 'Every day, I travel seven-eight stations by Metro. It has made life so much easier for the city dwellers. I have been using this service for the last 10-15 years. It is the life line of the city connecting the extreme south to the north.
'As far as the crowding in the coaches is concerned, I have travelled in London tubes also. Those are also very crowded. Metro offers subsidised tickets and we should ensure that its utilisation increases.'
Madan Mitra, head of the Metro's 3,250-strong employees' union, told IANS: 'Workers are happy. Commuters over here are also very sensitive towards it as they know the importance of the Metro.'
(Aparajita Gupta can be contacted at aparajita.g@ians.in)
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kolkata Metro- Latest News
