Kolkata Metro Railway is headed for yet another makeover by the year 2026. Authorities of Kolkata Metro have decided to induct new AC rakes that are to be manufactured at Integral Coach Factory, Chennai. The future fleet would include many state of the art features with improved facilities for commuters. The AC fleet would be aesthetically designed with inspiration from Bengal’s bridal and terracotta artwork. The rakes would have a nose cone design. While high lighting the local art and crafts, each coach would be provided with USB mobile phone charging ports on two sides of each coach. According to city metro authorities, the rakes would have provision of standing seats at one corner where space is limited.

Airport-bound commuters on the airport line, work on which is going on, would also be able to place their lug- gage beneath these seats. The anti skid flooring and fire extinguishers along with grab handles and handle loops would also be included in the rake to help improve the comfort level of metro journey while ensuring the safety of passengers.

In case of emergency, com- muters would also be able to interact with the motorman through the ‘Talk to Driver Unit’ and CCTV cameras that would be strategically placed inside every coach to ensure maximum vigilance of the coach on a real-time basis.

For peak hours when the city metro usually witnesses a rush, improved roof grab handles would be provided to ensure the passengers don’t stand on the vestibules. Spe- cial digital display boards would also be installed inside the rakes for displaying info- tainment material.

In order to create a warm ambiance inside the coaches, special cove lighting will also be arranged. Even the doors would be improvised with guardrails and grab poles above the benches inside the rake. The installation would enable commuters to have unobstructed entry/exit with conveniently and ergonomically placed holding positions. The makeover is to be done keeping in mind the changing demands and aspirations of commuters, accord- ing to the city metro.

The general manager of Kolkata Metro Railway, P Uday Kumar Reddy, visited the Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai yesterday and held a high-level meeting with the GM of ICF, B.G. Mallya. Mr Reddy visited the Furnishing Division of ICF and inspect- ed coaches under production.

The new rakes are expected to be included in Metro’s fleet around 2026. The Kolkata Metro Railway authorities have plans to induct 85 new rakes in phases in its fleet. After the introduction of the upcoming rakes, the present fleet of 46 rakes would be increased to 131. The Railway Ministry is said to have sanctioned Rs 6,000 crores for the procure- ment of the rakes.