The Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety (CMRS), Janak Kumar Garg, concluded a comprehensive one-day safety inspection of the Taratala – Majerhat section of Kolkata Metro Line-3 (Purple Line). This elevated section, spanning 1.25 km with a new station at Majerhat, is set to become the second segment of the Purple Line to open. The Joka – Taratala section, covering 6.49 km with six stations on Diamond Harbour Road, was inaugurated in November 2022.
Trial runs for the Taratala – Majerhat section commenced in mid-January 2024. The CMRS inspection, conducted on Sunday, focused on evaluating Majerhat Station’s passenger amenities and control facilities. It also included a motor trolley inspection of critical systems, such as track (by Rahee Infratech) and signaling. The inspection concluded with a speed trial run reaching a maximum speed of 60 kmph.
The Taratala – Majerhat viaduct, awarded to Simplex Infrastructures in 2011, features one new elevated station at Majerhat, constructed by GPT Infraprojects. This station is situated above seven tracks of the Indian Railways, connecting Sealdah to Budge Budge (view on Google Maps).
The CMRS team is expected to submit their approval letter by Tuesday afternoon. It’s noteworthy that CMRS approvals are typically conditional. Therefore, the Metro Railway, Kolkata, will need to address the specified conditions before commencing operations. The speed at which remediation work is carried out and a compliance report is submitted to the CMRS will determine the timeline for the operational launch.
Attached are some images of Majerhat Station, originally assigned to Gammon India in April 2012 under Package JMS-2. After being abandoned in 2018, the construction contract was re-tendered and awarded to GPT Infraprojects.
Image Source: themetrorailguy.com