Kolkata Metro Railway to join elite metro systems by replacing steel third rail with composite aluminium ones
Aug 30, 2023
New Delhi [India], August 30 : Kolkata Metro is set to join the elite metro club of London, Moscow, Berlin, Munich and Istanbul, which have composite aluminium third rail instead of those made of steel.
Kolkata Metro Railway, India’s first Metro built by Indian Railways on October 24, 1984, has been serving as a lifeline for Kolkata, the city of Joy for nearly 40 long years, the Ministry of Railways said.
"In Kolkata Metro Railway, the power to Metro Rake is supplied to rolling stock at 750V DC through steel Third Rail. The Third Rail Current Collector (TRCC) made of steel fitted on a metro rake collects the current from Third Rail. Kolkata Metro Railway using steel Third Rail for the last 40 years," it stated. 
The Ministry further said "Kolkata Metro Railway has now decided to use composite Aluminium Third Rail in all the upcoming corridors being undertaken for construction along with retrofitment in existing corridors with steel Third Rail. With this Metro Railway, Kolkata would become a member of an elite club of London, Moscow, Berlin, Munich, and Istanbul Metro which have also shifted from steel Third Rail to Aluminium Third Rail."
Moreover, Metro Railway Kolkata has floated a tender for the replacement of the existing Third Rail, in the first phase to cover the section between Dumdum to Shyambazar.
In the second phase, work would be taken up from Shyambazar to Central and J D Park to Tollygunge. In the third phase, the section between Mahanayak Uttam Kumar (Tollygunge) to Kavi Subhash (New Garia) shall be taken up. So, a total of 35 RKm mainline steel third rail shall be replaced in stages, the release said.
