Kolkata Metro’s Orange Line is set to adopt automatic train operation across its full operational stretch when services extend from Beleghata to the IT Centre in Sector V, reducing the role of the motorman in driving and braking while keeping one in the cabin for passenger reassurance and operational oversight.
Metro Railway general manager Prem Sagar Gupta told The Times of India that the computerised system would operate trains between Kavi Subhas and Sector V. Under automatic train operation, the system manages acceleration, coasting, braking and station stops. Gupta said the arrangement would be safer because it reduces human intervention during routine train movements.
The Orange Line currently runs between Kavi Subhas and Beleghata. The next extension, covering 4.6 km to the IT Centre in Sector V, is undergoing trial runs. Passenger services cannot begin until safety certificates are obtained from auditors and the Commissioner of Railway Safety inspects and clears the stretch.
An unidentified Metro Railway official cited in the report said automatic train operation can reduce headway, or the time and distance maintained between two trains using the same track. Lower headways could allow trains to run at shorter intervals and increase the number of services that can be operated on the network, although the eventual frequency will depend on operational clearances and scheduling decisions.
The technology is being introduced without removing the motorman completely. Kolkata Metro’s newer lines have the technical capability for unmanned operation, but railway authorities have opted to retain a motorman in the cabin. A senior railway official said this would provide a human presence even when the train’s movement is being controlled automatically, citing the risk of microsleep among operators as one reason machines could offer more consistent alertness during routine operations.
The move is part of a wider expansion of automated train operation across Kolkata Metro. The Purple Line’s Joka–Majerhat stretch has reportedly been running in this mode for about a month, while preparatory work for the Green Line between Sector V and Howrah Maidan has been completed. Authorities are also considering the technology for the Blue Line between Khudiram and Dakshineswar, though officials said that the older corridor would require substantial changes.
The Blue Line’s first sections opened between 1982 and 1984, making its infrastructure significantly older than the newer corridors. The proposed introduction of automatic operation there would therefore involve more than installing a common operating system; it would require modifications to existing infrastructure and equipment, according to the official cited in the report.
The Beleghata–Sector V extension is also expected to receive a formal inauguration, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi reportedly likely to attend an event on November 21. Metro Railway authorities said they were not aware of the proposed programme, and the inauguration date has not been officially confirmed. Services on the new stretch will remain dependent on completion of trials, safety certification and clearance from the Commissioner of Railway Safety.
