The Metro network will cover many more areas in 2023, officials of the carrier said on Monday.
Some of the routes are set to be operational by October, officials said.
The full stretch of East-West Metro, which now operates between Sector V and Sealdah, is likely to be functional by the end of this year, connecting the tech hub with Howrah Maidan, a statement issued by the carrier said.
The statement from Metro’s spokesperson said work on the projects has been accelerated following increased allocations in this year’s budget.
“In this year’s Union budget, Kolkata Metro has been allotted Rs 3,220.25 crore for different ongoing Metro projects,” the statement said. In the 2022-2023, Rs 1,216.25 crore was proposed to be allocated, it said.
“All the targets are realistic. We should achieve them,” Metro Railway general manager Arun Arora said.
“This year... we plan to add a total of 30.75km to the Metro network, which now spans 47.93km,” the Metro spokesperson said.
New Garia-airport
An official said a truncated 5.4-km stretch between New Garia and Ruby should be operational by the end of this month.
The stretch was inspected by the commissioner of railway safety (CRS) on January 30. A formal nod from the CRS, mandatory before commercial run starts, is expected by this week, the official said.
The corridor will be extended to Sector V by the end of October, the statement said.
Thousands of commuters will benefit once Sector V is connected to New Garia. Those coming from southern suburbs can get down at New Garia station of the suburban railway and travel to Sector V by Metro.
Now, they get off at Sealdah and board an East-West Metro train.
“There was some discontinuity in the viaduct in Chingrighata. There are some land issues. Those will be sorted out,” said an official.
Noapara-Barasat
The 7.04-km Noapara-airport stretch of the corridor should be operational by October, the carrier said.
Once completed, the Metro link will provide faster access to Kolkata from northern suburbs.
Commuters from those parts currently have to negotiate traffic congestion at multiple points to reach the heart of the city.
The project has run into several roadblocks over the years.
The airport authorities had raised objections to an elevated viaduct because of its proximity to the aircraft landing zone.
Encroachments along the proposed alignment through New Barrackpore and the presence of several private buildings near the Barasat site were other impediments.
“The completion of the entire corridor will take time. But the truncated stretch till the airport should be ready by October. The construction of the airport station is in its final stages,” said an official.
Joka-Esplanade
The truncated Joka-Taratala stretch has been operational since the start of this year.
Officials said the stretch will be extended till Majerhat, where the station is coming up over the railway yard, by the end of October.
The Joka-Taratala stretch has been witnessing a limited number of trains and low footfall.
“The count is expected to go up once Majerhat comes into the network. Metro commuters can then access suburban railway services from Majerhat as well,” said an official.
East-West Metro
Trains should run the full 16.5-km course between Sector V and Howrah Maidan by the end of 2023, said the statement issued by Metro. The complete stretch will include a portion under the Hooghly.
The infrastructure — both tracks and stations — between Sealdah and Howrah Maidan is almost ready.
Only the stretch between Esplanade and Sealdah, especially at Bowbazar, has proved to be a major challenge. Three incidents of subsidence in Bowbazar — in August 2019 and in May and October 2022 — have delayed the project.
The October 14 subsidence happened during the construction of a concrete structure to fill a 9m-wide gap. Work has begun to complete the gap, officials said.