Calcutta Metro to Get a Jolly Good Overhaul
The Calcutta Metro tunnel between Tollygunge and Dum Dum is set for a major overhaul after 40 years of service.
Well, it’s been forty years since the Calcutta Metro tunnel first rolled out its iron wheels from Tollygunge to Dum Dum, and now the grand old dame is up for a facelift. Yes, dear reader, India’s oldest metro tunnel is finally getting what we might call a “proper going-over” — not just a dab of paint and a fresh cuppa, but a full-blown overhaul, scaffolding and all.
According to Metro Railway’s top brass, Uday Kumar Reddy (who one imagines spends more time underground than a badger), the tunnel that forms the backbone of the Blue Line — from Tollygunge in the south to Dum Dum in the north — will be receiving the transport equivalent of a spa retreat.
“Any structure that’s 40 years old needs overhauling,” said Mr Reddy, in what must be the understatement of the century. Forty years! That’s practically ancient in metro years.
But don’t go packing your cycle clips just yet. The job, it turns out, is a bit more complicated than slapping on some duct tape and whistling a happy tune. A consultancy firm, RITES, has been roped in to conduct a study — the sort of affair that involves men in hard hats making serious faces at cracks in concrete.
They’ve been at it for five or six months, and once the report is in, things could start to move faster than a rush-hour sardine tin on the Victoria Line.
All Change, Please
What’s on the cards? Oh, just a bit of this and that — structural repair, track renewal, possibly some new escalators for the weary-legged, lifts for the upwardly mobile, and, most excitingly, a new signalling system. If you’ve ever spent ten minutes staring down a dark tunnel wondering if your train had popped off for a tea break, you’ll know how desperately that’s needed.
Now, here’s the rub — to get all this sorted, train services might have to be stopped from time to time. Yes, I know, I can already hear the collective groans. But as every seasoned commuter knows, you can’t make a tunnel omelette without smashing a few signal boxes. Or something like that.
Old Tunnel, New Tricks
The 16.45km stretch from Tollygunge to Dum Dum was built using the “cut-and-cover” method, which is exactly what it sounds like. Dig a trench, pop a tunnel in it, and cover it back up before anyone notices. Not unlike a child hiding their homework.
It was a technical marvel for its time — and still is, in many respects — but age, as it tends to do, has caught up. Retired engineers whisper about seepage, dodgy track fittings and maintenance routines that sound more like a “keep calm and carry on” mantra than modern engineering.
Lessons from the Old Blighty
But don’t fret — even the venerable London Underground, which dates back to 1863 and is still puffing away like your uncle after a brisk walk, goes through regular overhauls. The Piccadilly Line, for instance, is currently getting a serious sprucing up — new trains, improved power systems, better step-free access, and all the mod cons a weary commuter could wish for (short of a gin trolley, sadly).
And across the pond, the Yanks are getting in on the action too. New York’s own aged subway system is about to be shaken (and stirred) with new railcars, weather-proofed stations, and other such transatlantic wizardry.
The Bigger Picture
Back in Calcutta, the timing couldn’t be better. With the East-West or Green Line’s Esplanade connection nearing completion, the city’s central hub is set to become busier than a chip shop on a Friday night. Boosting the Blue Line’s frequency could be just the ticket to ease the passenger crush.
So yes, the old tunnel’s time has come. She’s creaky, she’s weathered, and she’s seen more footfall than the Tower of London. But with a bit of spit, polish, and proper engineering, she might just be good for another forty.
After all, as they like to say in Blighty — you can’t keep a good tunnel down.
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