Kolkata: City metro riders were presented a Christmas gift in advance with the introduction of Sunday morning services.
The services would start from 10 AM every Sunday with a gap of 30 minutes between trains till 2 PM and thereafter normal services would kick in, Union Minister of State for Railways Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said today after flagging off the first train.
“This has been done in accordance with long-pending demands of Metro passengers and considering the speed of modern life,” the minister said.
Chowdhury also inaugurated Mobile Train Radio Communication technology for better communication between motormen and controllers.
“The Metro will also get the much-awaited Global System for Mobile Communications - Railways (GSM-R) that promises safer train-running,” the minister said.
The technology would help commuters get mobile phone access when trains remain inside the tunnel, he said.
Railway sources said the GSM-R technology, provided by Nokia-Siemens Network, would improve safety and reliability of the Metro, besides reducing its operating cost.
“The technology is already in operation along 3,500 km of Indian Railways across four zones,” they said.
