Prateek Tanmay
3 min readKolkataUpdated: Jul 15, 2026 12:38 AM IST
Kolkata is officially set to join the elite club of Indian cities operating driverless metro trains. Following in the footsteps of Delhi and Bengaluru, the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) has cleared Kolkata Metro’s Green Line (East-West Corridor) to run autonomous driverless operations, sources said. This line runs from Howrah Maidan to Salt Lake Sector V. Similarly operations are also planned for the Purple Line in future.
While the approvals are in, a timeline is not yet clear.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Metro CPRO S S Kanon said, “Internal capabilities are being tested; it will be implemented at the right time, not immediately. Unmanned metros will run in both the Purple and Green lines.”
Driverless metro map
Kolkata isn’t the first city to pull off this feat. The Delhi Metro already runs driverless operations on the Magenta and Pink lines using Grade of Automation-4 (GoA-4) technology. This means the system is so advanced that no train attendants are required in the coaches. The Bengaluru Metro also runs unmanned operations on its Yellow Line.
What if something goes wrong?
There are some security concerns, as well: What happens if a passenger falls on the tracks, or the computer crashes? Unmanned lines feature multi-layer safety parameters. Glass security walls called platform screen doors (PSDs) are installed along all the platforms. These doors are synced with the train’s doors; they only open when a train is completely stationary, preventing anyone from falling onto the tracks.
Derailment detection: The front of the train is also equipped with highly sensitive optical sensors and physical bars. If even a small object is detected on the track ahead, the emergency brakes engage instantly.
Breakthrough on the Orange Line: 18-Month traffic deadlock ends
Besides, a major traffic bottleneck has finally been resolved with the completion of the stalled work on Kolkata Metro’s Line 6 (Orange Line). Engineers from Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) have successfully laid the crucial girders over pillars 317 to 319 on the EM Bypass at Chingrighata. This massive project had been deadlocked for nearly 18 months due to prolonged delays in securing traffic blocks on the busy bypass. With the political and administrative hurdles cleared, the work has been finally completed.
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The route and tech: How it works
The high-tech, unmanned trains are dependent on cutting-edge signaling backbone: the CBTC (Communication-Based Train Control). Driverless trains can’t operate without the CBTC, and among the two fully operational lines of Kolkata Metro, only the East-West Metro is equipped with the system.
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