The Phoolbagan station of the upcoming East-West Metro corridor is likely to be opened for commercial runs from Monday, Metro officials said on Thursday.

“The nod from the rail safety commissioner had come in June. But there were a few specifications that had to be fulfilled. The station is ready now and should be inaugurated on Sunday and become operational from Monday,” an official said.

Commercial services started between the Salt Lake Sector V and Salt Lake Stadium stations, the only operational stretch of the East-West Metro corridor, on September 14. The passenger count on the East-West route has been dismal, though, hovering close to 100, a little more than the number of daily trains (74).

On Wednesday, the East-West passenger count was 125.

Metro officials hoped the number would go up once Phoolbagan station started operations. “A large number of commuters headed to Sealdah and further west will benefit when the route extends till Phoolbagan,” a Metro official said.

Once fully operational, the East-West Metro will connect Salt Lake and Howrah.

East-West Metro now runs between Sector V and Salt Lake Stadium stations, a distance of 5.5km with six overhead stations on the stretch. Phoolbagan, the first underground station on the route, is around 1.7km from Salt Lake Stadium.

The Phoolbagan station has been built 18m under the ground. At 140m long and 12m wide, the platform is around 30m shorter than the existing ones on the North-South route to match the length of the six-coach rakes.

But it has been built to handle 300,000 passengers every day. Howrah station’s capacity will be higher at 450,000 and Sealdah station’s the highest at 500,000.

On the existing Noapara-New Garia Metro route, Esplanade station handled 53,000 passengers every day before the pandemic.