Kolkata: When Orange Line services extend till Sector V, the motorman will no longer have a role in running the trains though he will still be seated in the cabin to ensure passengers don’t get the jitters.The automatic train operations (ATO) system will be used to operate trains on the entire operational stretch of Orange Line between Kavi Subhas and Sector V, Metro Railway general manager Prem Sagar Gupta told TOI. “This is safer as there is no human intervention,” Gupta said, adding that trains on the Joka-Majerhat stretch (Purple Line) is already running on this mode for about a month and the system will be introduced on the Green Line (Sector V to Howrah Maidan) “any day” as “all preparatory work has been completed”.The ATO is a computerised system that automates driving and braking functions of a train and handles acceleration, coasting and station stops.The Orange Line is currently operational between Kavi Subhas and Beleghata and is set to be extended by another 4.6 km till IT Centre (Sector V). Gupta said they are trying hard to start services at the earliest. Trial runs are underway on the Beleghata-Sector V stretch. Once safety certificates are received from auditors, Metro Railway will approach the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) for inspection of the stretch. Passenger services can start only after CRS gives its nod.Railway officials say ATO makes train operations faster and safer. “It reduces headway, the separation distance or time interval between two consecutive trains travelling along the same track. As a natural consequence, frequency between trains can come down and more trains can be pushed into the network,” said an official.Sources said introducing ATO on the Khudiram-Dakshineswar Blue Line — the oldest metro line in the country — is also on the cards. “The first stretches of Blue Line were introduced between 1982 and 1984. The ATO system can be introduced in Blue Line, too, but it will require a lot of changes,” the official added.Kolkata Metro’s new lines have the technology to run unmanned services but the authorities have chosen not to go completely driverless. “A motorman will be seated in the cabin though the train will run on its own. Humans are prone to microsleeping, a brief, involuntary episode of sleep that can last up to a few seconds. If a motorman slips into microsleeping, it can be disastrous. But machines will be more alert,” said a senior railway official.PM Modi may inaugurate new stretch on Nov 21: PM Narendra Modi is likely to inaugurate the Orange Line stretch from Beleghata to IT Centre (Sector V) on Nov 21. Metro Railway authorities, however, said: “We are not aware of it.” Bengal BJP sources said the PM will reach Kolkata around 10 am and attend govt events, including the metro line inauguration. CM Suvendu Adhikari has postponed his scheduled tour to Purulia on that day, the sources said.
