Kolkata Metro all set to open Kavi Subhash-Hemanta Muhkopadhyay Metro Corridor

Kolkata, India (Metro Rail Today): The Metro Railway Kolkata team conducted pre-commercial trial run of a trainset on 5.4-kilometer long Kavi Subhash-Hemanta Muhkopadhyay Metro stretch, which is part of Orange Line (Airport Metro) of Kolkata Metro Rail Project, on 1st/2nd May 2023. During these trial runs, ten round trips were made with the Medha AC rakes to check tracks, power supply, propulsion systems, proper docking of rakes, response of the station staffs etc.

The 29.87 km orange line of Koklata Metro will connect New Garia with Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport via two satellite towns Salt Lake and New Town.

The 5.4 km Kavi Subhash-Hemanta Muhkopadhyay Metro stretch has a total of five metro station at Kavi Subhash (New Garia Area), Satyajit Ray (Hiland Park Area), Jyotirindra Nandi (Metro Cash & Carry and Ajoy Nagar Area), Kavi Sukanta (Abhishikta Crossing Area), and Hemanta Mukhopadhyay (Rubi Area). This section is now ready for commercial operations and awaiting inauguration dates from Prime Minister Office.

According to Kolkata Metro official, this stretch has been built at an estimated cost of Rs 1,550 crores.

On January 30, 2023, Commissioner of Railway Safety Suvomoy Mitra had conducted a mandatory safety inspection of the route and inspected passenger amenities, the Station Control Room, firefighting arrangements, panels, etc. of various stations. CRS has already issued safety clearance certificate for commencing comemrcial operations of metro train on this stretch.

The Railway Board is examining the proposal for an integrated fare structure for the Blue (the Kavi Subhas-Dakshineswar) and Orange (New Garia-Ruby crossing) lines. For the first time in Kolkata, two Metro lines will be integrated when services start on the New Garia-Ruby section. There will be one ticket instead of two, from Dakshineswar to Ruby. 

The metro services on this stretch will be similar to the recently commissioned 6.7km Joka-Taratala stretch of the Joka-Esplanade corridor (Purple line). But it will be like East-West Metro once the CBTC (automatic signalling) is commissioned by December in 2024. It takes time because the rolling stock also gets modified so that there is a continuous communication between the two trains and the control room.

This is also going to be the first time that the two Metro lines of the Kolkata metro network will be linked at Kavi Subhash station.

Kolkata Metro added a total of 14.23 km new metro rail network last year including the opening of metro services on a 6.5 km stretch of Joka to Taratala Section and on the Sealdah to Phoolbagan link.

For more details, please explore the Kolkata Metro page of Metro Rail Today.