by Suresh Pd Nikhar
Gaya/Kolkata : Kolkata, the first Indian city to introduce metro services, is set to enter a new phase of urban mobility. With the opening of three new stretches on August 22, the network will soon carry an additional 9.15 lakh passengers daily, offering faster and more seamless connectivity.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate three key sections — the 2.45 km Esplanade–Sealdah stretch (Green Line), the 6.77 km Noapara–Jai Hind Airport stretch (Yellow Line), and the 4.4 km Hemanta Mukhopadhyay–Beleghata stretch (Orange Line). He will also flag off three trains to mark the occasion.
Once operational, the expansion will bring 366 new metro services across these corridors. The Green Line alone will see 186 services, the Yellow Line 120, and the Orange Line 60, significantly cutting down waiting times and easing crowd pressure.
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Esplanade–Sealdah (Green Line): Travel between Howrah and Sealdah, which now takes 40–45 minutes by road, will be reduced to just 11 minutes.
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Noapara–Airport (Yellow Line): Flyers, airline staff and workers will enjoy direct metro access to the airport, with an Esplanade–Airport journey taking only 30 minutes.
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Hemanta Mukhopadhyay–Beleghata (Orange Line): Linking Science City, hospitals, schools and business hubs, the extension will slash travel time between Beleghata and Kavi Subhash to 32 minutes.
Officials said the new lines will benefit not only the city but also commuters from North and South 24 Parganas, making cross-city travel smoother than ever before.
With this expansion, Kolkata Metro is set to cement its place as the lifeline of the city, offering speed, safety and comfort to lakhs of daily passengers.
