Kolkata's East West Metro To Open On Feb 13, Work To Resume Soon On Remaining Stretch

Also known as the East-West corridor, Line II is the latest Metro project in Kolkata. The 16.6-km route that is likely to be constructed at an estimated cost of over Rs 4,500 crore will be developed in two phases. The first phase will be 9.4-km in which the 5.8-km elevated stretch will be constructed, too. The remaining 10.8-km of the total stretch will be underground. There will be 12 stations on this route – four elevated and eight underground. This route will also see the country’s first under-water Metro route, wherein the train will pass under the Hooghly River.

However, now the Calcutta High Court on January 7, 2020, has directed the Centre to submit a report on resuming work on the East-West Corridor in the Bowbazar area where an aquifer burst during tunnelling work caused the collapse of several buildings in the area. The work has been delayed by over a year now. 

Kolkata Metro connectivity in the pipeline:  

Line-III: The 16.72-km route will run between Joka in the south of the city and Esplanade in the central part. There will be 11 stations on this route, construction of which is yet to begin.

Line-IV: The link between Kavi Subhash and the city’s international airport will have 24 stations. The 29.1-km stretch will have 24 stations, connecting the peripheries of the city.

Considering the popularity of this public transport, the Kolkata Metro is set to extend by another 50 km over the next three years as the Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL), the agency that has executed most of the Metro projects in the city, has now invited bids for four new routes in the city. The routes include the East-West Metro connection from Howrah Maidan to Sector-V, Kavi Subhash to the airport route and a nine km-stretch from Joka to Majerhat.