Kolkata is set for a major boost in urban mobility this week, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi scheduled to inaugurate three metro line extensions on Friday, including the long-delayed Sealdah–Esplanade stretch under the East-West Metro corridor, officials said.
The 14 km expansion will link key terminals, including Howrah and Sealdah railway stations, the city airport, and Salt Lake Sector V, its information technology hub. Once fully operational, the daily ridership of the East-West Metro could rise from the current 100,000 to more than 700,000, Kolkata Metro General Manager P. Uday Kumar Reddy said.
The Sealdah–Esplanade segment, just 2.6 km long, is expected to be the most crucial, cutting travel time between Howrah and Sealdah stations to only 12 minutes via an underwater tunnel under the Hooghly River. The line will ease congestion in the city’s central business district and provide direct access to Salt Lake’s offices from both major railway hubs.
For the first time, passengers will also be able to travel between Howrah Maidan and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport with a single smart card, though they will need to change trains twice. The Noapara–airport extension, covering 7 km, is also part of the new services.
Another 4.4 km stretch connecting Ruby (Hemanta Mukhopadhyay station) and Beleghata (Metropolis) will be launched, offering commuters in eastern Kolkata new links to Sealdah, Howrah and the airport.
Services are currently available every 12 to 15 minutes, but the frequency is expected to increase to every eight minutes during peak hours once the expanded network becomes fully operational.
Kolkata’s metro, India’s oldest, began operations in 1984. In recent years, several expansions have faced repeated delays, including the East-West project, which was stalled by land subsidence in the Bowbazar area. Last year, Modi inaugurated the country’s first under-river metro service, which opened to the public nine days later.
Metro officials said services on the Sealdah–Esplanade stretch may open to passengers immediately after Friday’s inauguration, while the other two extensions are expected to start from Monday.
