PM Modi Opens Kolkata's New Metro Lines

Kolkata is set to expand its metro network next week with three new stretches across different lines. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to inaugurate all three on the morning of August 22.

The

main ceremony will be held at the Yellow Line’s Jessore Road Metro station. This surface-level station was chosen over Sealdah and Airport stations due to security and logistical considerations. Both alternatives are underground and pose safety challenges.

Railway Board Chairman and CEO Satish Kumar inspected the readiness of the new sections on Tuesday. He was accompanied by Metro Railway GM P Uday Kumar Reddy and other officials. Kumar said the lines would open “soon” and indicated efforts were underway to start services next week.

The new metro stretches are:

• Green Line (East-West Metro): 2.6 km between Esplanade and Sealdah, completing the line’s final segment.


• Yellow Line: 7 km Noapara–Airport corridor, marking its first operational phase.


• Orange Line (Phase II): 4.5 km Ruby–Metropolitan stretch.

Once operational, the East-West Metro will connect the entire 16.6 km corridor between Howrah Maidan and Sector V. Currently, it runs in two segments: Sector V–Sealdah and Howrah Maidan–Esplanade.

A trip from Howrah Maidan

to Sector V will take about 35 minutes, and from Howrah to Sealdah about 12 minutes. Trains will run every eight minutes during peak hours and every 10 minutes off-peak.

The East-West Metro uses a communications-based train control (CBTC) system with Automatic Train Protection Movement (ATPM) for safety. Trials are underway to upgrade to Automatic Train Operations (ATO), which is expected within six months. This upgrade will reduce travel time by five to seven minutes and allow higher train frequency.

The Green Line operates 17 six-coach trains built by BEML, with 14 rakes already commissioned. The line faced delays since 2019 due to water leakage and soil subsidence. The Esplanade–Sealdah section received safety clearance from the Commissioner of Railway Safety in late April.

After inaugurating the metro lines, PM Modi will travel to Chausa in Bihar to inaugurate the 1,320 MW Buxar Thermal Power Plant on August 22.

Metro authorities are finalising operational and logistical preparations to

ensure a smooth launch. Officials say the new lines will maintain high standards of cleanliness, punctuality, and safety, consistent with other leading metro systems in India.