Kolkata Metro

Land swap with Nepal consulate clears hurdle for Kolkata Metro Purple Line

A major hurdle in the construction of the Kolkata Metro's Purple Line (Joka-Park Street) was resolved after the project's implementing agency, Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL), and the Consulate General of Nepal signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to exchange land parcels. Under the agreement, 409.53 sq. metres of land owned by the Consulate General of Nepal will be exchanged with 526.34 sq. metres of adjoining Metro Railway land, facilitating the construction of a ramp between Mominpur and Kidderpore for the proposed Mominpur-Esplanade underground section. This 409.53 sq. metres of land is urgently required for construction of a ramp between Mominpur and Kidderpore, officials said. He recalled that several meetings took place from 2022 to 2025 between the Nepal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, India's Ministry of External Affairs, Metro Railway, and RVNL in Kathmandu, New Delhi, and Kolkata to ensure smooth land exchange. "After multiple rounds of discussions, the Nepal governme

Kolkata metro to run special night services on Blue line for Kali Puja

Metro Railway Kolkata will run special night services on the Blue line on October 20 on the occasion of Kali Puja, an official statement said on Friday. While the last train will leave from Dakshineswar station for Sahid Khudiram at 10:51 pm instead of the normal 9:28 pm, the last train from Sahid Khudiram will depart at 11 pm for Dakshineswar instead of 9:33 pm, the Metro Railway said in a statement. On October 20, 144 services (72 services on UP and DN sections each) will be run along the Blue Line (Dakshineswar-Sahid Khudiram) corridor instead of 272 services on other Mondays, but the special services will be run at night to enable thousands of devotees to attend the puja rituals at the two heritage Kali temples at Kalighat and Dakshineswar.

Kolkata Metro sees record 982K passengers in a day on September 27

The Metro Railway Kolkata registered its highest-ever daily passenger count of 9.82 lakh on September 27, an official said. The previous record of highest daily passenger count was recorded on October 9 last year at 9.61 lakh, he said. An estimated 9.82 lakh passengers travelled on different corridors (of the Metro Railway) on Panchami', September 27, the official said in a statement. A total of 7.43 lakh passengers travelled on the Blue Line' stretch, while the Green Line' carried 2.21 lakh commuters on September 27, it said. The statement said Metro Railway has made elaborate arrangements to operate night-long services on the Blue Line' and Green Line' during Durga Puja festivities on Saptami' (September 29), Astami' (September 30) and Navami' (October 1) this year. There will be deployment of additional officers, staff and security personnel to ensure hassle-free commuting of lakhs of commuters, it added.

Technical snag disrupts Kolkata Metro Green Line services for 30 minutes

Truncated services were run on the Howrah Maidan-Salt Lake Sector V corridor of Metro Railway Kolkata for half an hour on Thursday during peak office hours due to a technical snag, an official said. Services along the entire stretch resumed from 11 am after the technical problem was fixed by engineers, the Metro Railway spokesperson said. "Due to a technical problem, trains were run between Howrah Maidan-Esplanade and Sealdah-Salt Lake Sector V from 10:30 am to 11 am. After the glitches were rectified, the services resumed along the entire 16.6 km stretch, called the Green Line," he said. This is the second consecutive day that truncated services were run on the Green Line due to a technical glitch, less than a month after the full stretch was made operational. On Wednesday, a glitch was detected around 10.34 am, following which services were suspended on both lines, and services resumed on the Howrah Maidan-Sealdah section around 11.46 am. The snag was fully repaired, and the enti

PM Modi to flag off metro services on new sections in Kolkata on Aug 22

These metro routes will connect some of Kolkata's busiest areas, bring a notable reduction in travel time, and strengthen multimodal connectivity, benefiting lakhs of daily commuters

PM Modi to unveil ₹5,200 cr metro, road projects in Kolkata on Aug 22

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate and lay the foundation of projects worth Rs 5,200 crore, including three new stretches of the Kolkata Metro, and an elevated corridor in adjacent Howrah, during his visit to the eastern metropolis on August 22, officials said. PM Modi will inaugurate the new Metro stretches around 4.15 pm on Friday and undertake a metro ride from Jessore Road metro station to Jai Hind Bimanbandar station and back, a Kolkata Metro Railway spokesperson said on Wednesday. He will also lay the foundation of 7.2-km elevated Kona Expressway worth over Rs 1,200 crore, which will enhance connectivity between Howrah and Kolkata. The inauguration of the crucial 13.62 km, in all, of metro stretches will provide seamless connectivity between important points in the city, including Howrah and Sealdah stations, IT hub Sector 5 and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport. The three new stretches are Sealdah to Esplanade (2.45 km), Noapara to Jaihind Bimanbanda

Mamata to skip inauguration of Kolkata metro projects by PM Modi on Aug 22

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is likely to skip the inauguration of three Kolkata metro projects by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 22, a top state government official said on Monday. Banerjee, during her tenure as the railway minister, had planned these metro projects, he claimed. The decision to skip the inauguration of the metro projects was taken in the backdrop of alleged harassment of migrants from West Bengal in the BJP-ruled states, he said. "There have been charges of linguistic discrimination and the harassment of the Bengalis in several states, with the alleged support of the BJP and the central government. Protests are underway to oppose such discriminatory treatment being meted out to Bengali migrants. In such a situation, the chief minister does not wish to share the stage with officials from the central government," the top bureaucrat told PTI. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, in a letter dated August 14, invited Banerjee to the inauguration of

No decision on suspension of services of East-West Kolkata Metro: Official

The Metro Railway Kolkata said that no decision has been finalised for the shutdown of the entire 16.6 km long East-West Metro corridor for installation of the Communications-Based Train Control (CBTC) signalling system. It said that the implementing agency Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (KMRCL) has recommended a 45-day block for linking the Sealdah-Esplanade stretch of the East-West corridor. "KMRCL has recommended a 45-day block of services from February 8 to March 24 to install a unified Communications-Based Train Control (CBTC) signalling system across the 16.6 km corridor from Howrah Maidan to Salt Lake Sector V. This is crucial for seamless direct connectivity between the two busy terminal railway stations of Howrah and Sealdah and the state IT hub in Salt Lake township. But we are yet to take a final call on the matter," the spokesperson said. He said that stopping train operation for such a long period will obviously lead to a situation where thousands of commuters will

Kolkata Metro introduces Rs 10 surcharge for late-night Blue-line service

From January 1, the official confirmed that the Rs 10 surcharge will be applicable uniformly without considering the distance travelled

Bihar sees 15-fold jump in data consumption, state goes big on infra

Bihar has seen a 15-fold jump in data consumption in the last five years as the state goes big on developing infrastructure, investing in connectivity and building rail and road networks, its Chief Secretary Amrit Lal Meena said. Bihar has witnessed unprecedented growth in infrastructure development with its road density being the third largest in India that facilitates trade and transport. Its electricity generation has expanded from 700 MW to 7,000 MW while the state has built IT parks and data centres are in the offing. Infrastructure is the focus, Meena, the top-most bureaucrat in the Bihar government, said adding massive investments have gone into building infrastructure in the last two decades. "If I talk of the road sector, we have a network of 1.2 lakh kilometres of rural roads. It has been built completely during the last 20 years. We have a very strong network of national highways, state highways and major district roads. And I am happy to share with you that during the .

Even as cities worldwide modernise trams, India consigns them to museums

With the state government announcing its decision to eliminate tram services, a network that has shrunk rapidly since the nineties, fleeting images come to mind

Kolkata metro rail sees highest passenger earnings in 13 years on Sep 2

Metro Railway has earned more than Rs. 1.33 crore from passengers on September 2, which is the highest passenger earnings in the last 13 years, the authorities said on Tuesday. This is the second highest ever earnings in the history of Kolkata Metro in a day from passenger fare after August 1, 2011. On that day 13 years ago, it had earned over Rs 1.47 crore from passenger fares on a single day. The underground Metro service began its operation in the city in 1984 in a section of what is now known as the Blue Line. Later, it was expanded over the years. On September 2, an estimated 7.5 lakh passengers travelled in the Blue Line (Dakshineswar-New Garia), Green Line-1 (Sector Five-Sealdah), Green Line-2 (Howrah Maidan-Esplanade), Purple Line (Joka-Majerhat) and Orange Line (New Garia-Ruby More). More than 6.3 lakh passengers travelled on the Blue Line on that day, while 56,000-odd passengers travelled on Green Line-2. Around 51,500 people travelled in the Green Line-1 on Monday. M

Soon UPI ticketing at all booking counters in Kolkata Metro's N-S corridor

Kolkata Metro on Saturday announced that UPI payment-based ticketing system will be available at booking counters of all stations of Blue Line (Dakshsineswar-New Garia) soon for the convenience of the passengers. The system had earlier been introduced in all Automatic Smart Card Recharge Machines (ASCRM) installed at stations of Blue Line but not at counters. This ticketing system has also been introduced in all stations of Green Line 1 and Green Line 2 (Howrah Maidan-Esplanade and Sealdah-Sector Five) as all ticket booking counters in this corridor are now UPI-enabled, the Kolkata Metro said in a statement. As a result, commuters now don't need to tender the exact fare in currency notes and coins at stations under the Green line of East-West Metro. "Instead, they have now been recharging their smart cards or purchasing tokens with the help of this alternative system," the statement said. Now with the introduction of this UPI-payment based ticketing system at all the counters of B

Kolkata Metro to operate 214 trains in North-South corridor on June 17

Metro Railway will run 214 trains on June 17 on the occasion of Eid-Ul-Zuha in the Blue Line (Dakshineswar-New Garia) stretch, an official statement said on Saturday. On a normal day, the Metro Railway runs 288 trains. But as Monday is a holiday due to Eid-Ul-Zuha so 214 trains will run on that day, it said. The first train will commence at 6:50 am from Dumdum to Kavi Subhash (New Garia) and from Kavi Subhash to Dakshineshwar on that day. The last train for Kavi Subhas from Dumdum will leave at 9:40 pm and the last Dumdum-bound train from Kavi Subhash will also leave at 9:40 pm. However, after over an hour gap, special night Metro services on the Blue Line will be available as one pair of trains will leave Kavi Subhash and Dumdum stations each at 11 pm. The Metro Railway will run 90 trains (45 from Sealdah and 45 from Salt Lake Sector V) on the Sealdah to Salt Lake Sector V stretch of the Green Line on that day instead of 106 services. These services will start at 6.55 am and wil

2.4 mn travelled in underwater stretch of Kolkata Metro in last 2 months

Around 24 lakh passengers travelled in the newly launched underwater stretch of Metro Railway connecting the twin cities of Kolkata and Howrah in past two months, a railway statement said. Commercial metro services from Howrah Maidan to the Esplanade stretch of Green Line 2 and Kavi Subhash (New Garia) to Hemanta Mukhopadhyay (Ruby More) stretch of Orange Line started on March 15. During the period 24 lakh commuters travelled in the Howrah Maidan Esplanade corridor (Green Line 2) of East-West Metro, a part of which runs under the river Ganga. The Metro Railway earned Rs 3.40 crore in that section during the period, the statement said. Howrah Metro station has been the busiest station during the last two months in the corridor. This station has recorded 11.67 lakh passenger count which has been the highest passenger count among all the stations in this corridor. In Orange Line, more than 55 thousand passengers travelled in the last two months and Metro has earned Rs 11.64 lakh.

Kolkata Metro non-fare revenue increases 38% to Rs 2.72 crore in April

Kolkata Metro on Monday said it has recorded a 38 per cent increase in its non-fare revenue in April this year. With this, Kolkata Metro has been able to register itself as one of the frontrunners among all railway zones in the country, it said in a statement. "Metro Railway, Kolkata has earned Rs 2.72 crore in April 2024 as non-fare revenue," it said, adding that the figure was Rs 1.97 in the same period last year. Kolkata Metro has been focusing on generating revenues through branding of litter bins at stations, displaying ads inside and outside trains, putting up hoardings in open spaces and installing health check-up kiosks at different stations, a spokesperson said. Besides, it is also branding various points like track sidewalls, card balance checking terminals and smart card recharge machines, all of which helped in increasing non-fare revenue, he added. Kolkata Metro, at present, operates four lines -- the North-South, two stretches of the East-West, a section of the ...

Jindal Stainless supplies steel for Kolkata's underwater metro project

Jindal Stainless Ltd on Sunday said it supplied 75 tonnes of high-end steel for Kolkata Metro's Esplanade-Howrah Maidan section which passes below the Hooghly River in West Bengal. The underwater metro project was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier this month. Jindal Stainless in a statement said it supplied premium 'SS 301LN' grade of stainless steel for coaches and infrastructure of the project which is a part of the East-West Metro corridor linking Howrah Maidan to Salt Lake Sector V. SS 301 N is corrosion-resistant grade which does not require regular repair and maintenance and is the most cost-effective solution on a life cycle cost basis, JSL said adding it supplied 75 tonnes of steel.

Country's first underwater metro train commences commercial services

Commercial services of the country's first underwater metro train commenced in Kolkata on Friday with hundreds of passengers erupting into jubilation on their first ride. A train began its journey from the Howrah Maidan station on the East-West metro corridor of Kolkata at 7 am with loud cheers and claps from commuters, while another started from Esplanade station at the same time. Hundreds of commuters thronged the stations in the early morning to be part of the "first-day first underwater metro" bandwagon. At Howrah Maidan station, passengers were seen standing in a long queue in the morning to get a ticket, while the authorities greeted them with rose stems at Esplanade station. There was excitement among the passengers while a section of commuters at the Howrah Maidan station started chanting 'Jai Sri Ram' slogan as they boarded the train. The commercial services began after Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on March 6 inaugurated the Howrah Maidan-Esplanade section of Kolkata

Vi deploys network to improve connectivity across Kolkata underwater metro

Telecom operator Vodafone Idea (Vi) on Wednesday said it has completed the deployment of network infrastructure across the East-West Metro corridor route of Kolkata's recently-inaugurated Underwater Metro Rail Service. Vi has deployed network infrastructure across all 17 stations on the Green Line route, the company said. With this, Vi customers travelling via the underwater metro rail service will experience uninterrupted connectivity across the entire 16.6-kilometre route of the Green Line metro.

India's first underwater metro: Key things you need to know

On March 6, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated India's first underwater metro route in Kolkata. Watch the video to know more about this unique rail route