the Joka-Esplanade Metro corridor is one of the slowest ongoing metro works in
the city. With immense land acquisition problems and lack of funds it has become
a mere lost hope project of the city. Stations are almost ready the viaduct is
ready but the trains cannot operate. The track-laying works were recently started
and RVNL the implementing agency floated a tender to construct the joka
Depot. Yes in this grim time this news comes as a joy for South Kolkata
because Joka Depot was the last remaining hurdle of his line.
The Joka
Depot was facing extreme land acquisition problems since 2010. Although
the state government helped RVNL to acquire almost 90% of the land required
the remaining 10% is probably still left to be acquired. In spite of this work
began last year. Work of filling marshy land and level the soil of the proposed
Joka Depot land has been almost completed RVNL has floated a final
tender to construct the Metro Depot at a cost of 372 crores. The Joka Depot is
expected to take around 24 months to be completed as stated by RVNL. The Joker
Depot will be around 1.6 kilometers long and around 350 metres wide. It will have
39 tracks directly connected to the main line this includes a huge stabling yard, twp
inspection bays, workshops, test tracks rake unloading track, washing plant etc in
the first phase the stabling yard will have 12 tracks in future 11 more tracks
will be constructed which will increase the number to 23.
The inspection Bay will
have eight tracks. If we combine the capacity of stabling lines and
inspection bays, the joka Depot will be able to host 20 rakes in first phase and
31 rakes in future. A 240 metres long rake unloading line will
built inside the depot. As you know in spite of being broad gauge tracks of
Joker's Planet Metro Corridor will not be physically connected to the tracks of
Indian Railways or the north-south Metro so the new rigs will be brought in with
the help of huge trailers just like that of east-west Metro each rake of Joker
Metro will have eight coaches these eight coaches will be loaded on eight
separate trailers and will be transported by Road once these trailers
reach the Joker Depot all eight coaches will be unloaded on the 240 meters long
break unloading track when the coaches will be assembled together and the rig
will be formed with the help of battery-operated Electric bogie tractor
or a locomotive this rake will then be shunted into stabling yard the depot
will have a 1.5 kilo meter long test track before running on the viaduct the
new Metro rakes will be run on this test track inside the depot once they
successfully complete these initial tests they will run on the viaduct from
Joker Depot till Madrid Metro station apart from this the depot will also have
workshops whether rakes can be periodically overhauled a unique coach
turntable will be installed inside the depot this will eliminate the need of a
circular loop line like that of Noah Paragard a three-story administrative
building a substation a canteen and a security building will also come up
inside the depot although our VNL says that they will complete the depot within
24 months or two years it's very obvious that it might take more than three to
four years there are absolutely no updates whether the land acquisition
problem has been sorted out or not but somehow if they manage to make the
stabling Yard and lay tracks then the rigs can be brought and the trial runs
can be started immediately up to Tara Donna from Joker Depot tilta Rotolo the
wire bucked has been completed and the tracks are being laid now
tenders of installing 750 volt DC third rail along with substations and SCADA
has been already finalized according to sources the trains of Joker Metro
Corridor will be manufactured by ICF in collaboration with CR RC 0 however we
did not get any confirmation from railways yet we are still in
communication with ICF and Metro regarding this once we have more
information we will make a new video but as of now ICF is collaborating with CRC
0 for 10 new rakes of Kolkata Metro these rakes are very likely to run on
joka line because 10 rakes seem to be perfect for serving the 9 kilometers
okema jurat line as the line expands to Esplanade in future more rakes will be
brought in the rakes of Joker Metro will have automatic train protection and
automatic train operation modes this will allow partial driverless
operation in your future trains will also be compatible with platform screen
doors and cVTC signalling system please note that the entire joke Iceland 8
Metro corridor will be having platform screen doors and cVTC signalling system
so trains will definitely be compatible with these systems but again we are not
sure whether CRC's usual rakes will be running on the line or not it's just a
probability for more videos on Metro rails and other rapid transit serve
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