Kolkata metro on Rs. 11,000cr expansion drive

Kolkata : Kolkata Metro network, which is the only metro service in the country functioning directly under the Indian Railways, in a recent move has launched multiple expansion corridors involving a whopping investment of Rs. 11,000cr. The mega expansion plans include the extension of Dum Dum Dakshineswar metro route by 12.5km up to Barrackpore and also the expansion of 18.5km long route from Noapara to Barasat via Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport. In addition to this, the metro has also launched the expansion of the 16.72km long network line from Joka in the extreme South Kolkata to BBD Bagh in central Kolkata and another extension between New Garia and airport with a length of 32 km crisscrossing EM bypass and Salt Lake has been cleared and construction work on all these stretches has already been started. Apart from this, the Union Railway Ministry has also cleared the complete overhauling and renovating of the all the existing metro stations across the Kolkata city entailing an investment of Rs. 10cr.

According to an official spokesperson the existing 25km metro network connecting the city’s northern tip with extreme south is all set to add 85 km thereby taking its coverage length to about 110km. In the on going expansion drive the two projects are likely to be commissioned in about 16 months, while the commissioning of the first phase of expansion will take about 30 months. The metro corridors are being equipped with interchanging facilities for the passengers from one metro corridor to another and also from suburban train services of Eastern Railways and South Eastern Railway. The expansion also included common ticketing system for commuters requiring availing different modes of rail transport to reach their destinations and has already introduced an automatic fare collection AFC and new ticketing system at an investment of Rs. 56cr, he claimed.