Kolkata's New Garia-Ruby Metro gets CRS approval, likely to run by month-end

The New Garia-Ruby section of the New Garia-Airport Corridor, which received Commission for Railway Safety (CRS) approval for commercial services on Tuesday, is all set to start operations by the end of the month, the Managing Director of Metro Railway said. Arun Arora. Although the services will be similar to the Joka-Taratala line, Metro Railway is starting a survey to find out which services are most in demand and will change the timetables accordingly, Arora said.

CRS, an autonomous body under the Ministry of Civil Aviation, gives the final nod to any new metro line in India. On January 30, CRS, North Frontier circle, Suvomoy Mitra, conducted a mandatory inspection of the orange line - the 5.4 km stretch between Kavi Subhas Terminal (New Garia) and Hemanta Mukherjee Station.

As the CRS was busy with a number of checks, there was a slight delay in granting the clearance. Kaushik Mitra, CPRO, Metro Railway, said, "We have received a mandatory safety instruction in the evening."

The extension of the Joka-Taratala section to Majherhat will take place this October, the Metro CEO said. Joka-Esplanade corridor and New Garia-Airport metro corridors have seen the highest increase in budget allocations, he added.