Kolkata Metro has strengthened its long-standing partnership with ABB, deploying advanced electrification and motion-control technologies across its expanding transit network to enhance operational efficiency, reliability and passenger safety.
The collaboration, which spans more than 25 years, has supported the modernization of India’s first metro railway system. Today, the 72-km Kolkata Metro network operates over 300 train services daily and caters to more than half a million passengers, making it a critical component of the city’s urban transportation infrastructure.
ABB has supplied a range of electrification solutions, including low- and medium-voltage gas-insulated switchgear, distribution boards, lightning protection systems and variable frequency drives (VFDs), installed across stations and underground tunnels. The company said its HVAC-dedicated packaged drives help regulate cooling and ventilation systems, improving passenger comfort and enabling smoke extraction during emergencies while delivering average energy savings of around 25 per cent.
KiranDutt, President – Electrification, ABB India, said the company’s technologies now support more than 80 per cent of India’s metro rail networks. He added that ABB remains committed to supporting India’s smart and sustainable mobility goals through local manufacturing and innovation under the ‘Make in India’ initiative.
The continued expansion and modernization of Kolkata Metro is expected to drive demand for advanced infrastructure technologies, automation systems and energy-efficient solutions across the city. Improved connectivity through metro expansion is also likely to support commercial growth, real estate development and business activity in emerging urban corridors, reinforcing Kolkata’s position as a major economic hub in eastern India.
ABB’s solutions have been deployed across several metro corridors and facilities, including Sealdah–Phoolbagan, Joka–Majerhat, BarunSengupta–NazrulTirtha, Airport and Blue Line corridors, as well as Dakshineswar, Baranagar, Metro Railway Bhavan and Jai Hind Bimanbandar, India’s largest underground metro station.