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FIVE MAJOR METRO PROJECTS TO BE INAUGURATED THIS YEAR
Kolkata, Date 06.02.2023
In this year’s Union Budget tabled in the Parliament, Kolkata Metro has been allotted Rs. 3220.25 cr for different on-going Metro projects. This is a massive 164.77 % higher than 2022-2023 budget proposal of Rs. 1216.25 cr. The total Plan Outlay for Metro Railway has also been increased by an unprecedented 153.36% and fixed at Rs. 3496.54 cr.
As adequate funds are now available, Metro Railway is planning to open new Metro routes and extend existing routes in the year 2023 . The New Garia to Hemanta Mukherjee stretch of New Garia to the Airport via the Rajarhat Metro Project (Orange Line ) has already been inspected by the Commissioner of Railway Safety, N.F. Circle and it is expected that his mandatory approval to start the commercial services on this stretch will be received very soon. After getting that nod, commercial services on this 5.4-km long stretch is likely to start in February 2023.
This stretch will be further extended to Salt Lake Sec-V (a length of 9.82- km ) in October 2023. In the same month, the Noapara to Bimanbandar stretch (7.04 km) of Noapara-Bimanbandar- Barasat Metro Project (Yellow Line) will be inaugurated .
Commercial services on the Purple Line from Joka to Taratala has already started. This service will be further extended from Taratala to Majherhat (1.24-km) by October 2023.
Shri Arun Arora, General Manager, Metro Railway has said, “These extensions and opening of new routes will be this year’s Puja Gift to the people of Kolkata”.
Target has also been fixed to extend much-awaited Metro services from Sealdah to Howrah Maidan (7.25 km) by December of this year. Once it is achieved then Metro will run for the first time under a mighty river like Hooghly in this country. Commuters coming from the suburbs will be able to reach places like Esplanade, Sealdah or Salt Lake quickly and smoothly without facing any traffic snarls.
In this year Metro is planning to extend it’s wings very fast and a total of 30.75 kms is going to be added to the Kolkata Metro network with the existing 47.93 kms .
