Kolkata Metro Plans To Start Airport Line By Year-End, Here's What We Know

Kolkata Metro Railway is planning to commence operations of the Airport-Haldiram segment of the New Garia-Airport Orange line by the end of this year.

But, the stretch of the line between New Garia and Ruby is currently operational. It is worth noting that the station at Kolkata airport will be an interchange between the orange line and the yellow line.

According to the Times of India, the General Manager of the Metro Railway, P. Uday Kumar Reddy, stated that instead of proceeding only from the New Garia end, the orange line would commence service from the other end as well. The timeline to start the 2.4-km Airport-Haldiram section still remains under wraps.

However, if sources are to be believed, efforts are being made to complete and start it by the end of the year. By this time, the Noapara-Airport stretch of the yellow line should be functional.

The Metro GM further said, “Rakes can be brought into the airport station from the Noapara depot, which will then have both the North-South (Blue) line and the yellow lines crossing it. Thus, the orange line can start from the opposite end as well,” reported the Times Of India.

Furthermore, General Manager P. Uday Kumar Reddy inspected the progress of work at the under-construction site between Airport Metro station and the VIP Road station of the orange line on Saturday, May 11. Senior Metro Railway and Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd. (RVNL) officials also accompanied him during this inspection.

The General Manager also visited the construction site at Kaikhali crossing, where ramp construction has commenced after Bidhannagar Police approved the traffic block to Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd. (RVNL), which is implementing the 29 km New Garia-Airport corridor.

The Metro project, which was envisioned by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee as railway minister in 2009, began in 2011 but it has seen several delays and cost overruns due to land acquisition issues. As quoted by the Times of India, Reddy said, “We are thinking of this alternative plan of starting the Airport-VIP Road station section and proceeding from both ends.”

From New Garia to Ruby crossing, the orange line now runs 5.4 km. The VIP Road, or Haldiram, will be the first station on the orange line from the airport end, which should take approximately 7 minutes to cover the 2.4-kilometre stretch. The service is expected to be extended till Metropolitan on the EM Bypass by December.

Likewise, Afcons is constructing the last leg of the orange line, which is two stations at Chinar Park and VIP Road (named Rabindra Tirtha and Haldiram) and the 3.5 km viaduct. It is also building the 950 m underground stretch to the airport.