Kolkata Metro
Encyclopedia
The Kolkata Metro or Calcutta Metro (Bengali
Bengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...

: কলকাতা মেট্রো Kolkata Meṭro) is a mass rapid transit
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...

 system serving the city of Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...

 and the districts of South 24 Parganas and North 24 Parganas in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

n state of West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...

. The network consists of one operational line (Line 1) and five lines currently under construction. It was the first such form of transportation in entire India when it first opened its commercial services back in 1984.

History

After independence, the transport problem of Kolkata drew the attention of the city planners, the State Government and also the Government of India
Government of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...

. Efforts to solve the problem by augmenting the existing fleet of public transport vehicles barely touched the fringe of the problem as the roads account for only 4.2% of the surface area in Calcutta, compared to 25% in Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...

 and even 30% in other cities.

With a view to finding an alternative solution, the Metropolitan Transport Project (Rlys) (i.e., Railways) was set up in 1973, which recommended a Mass Rapid Transit System. The MTP (Rlys) prepared a master plan
Master plan
A master plan has many meanings, it can refer to:Generally it may be used for serious plans or strategies, see:*Strategy**Strategic planning**Comprehensive planning**Blueprint...

 in 1971 envisaging construction of five rapid-transit lines for the city of Kolkata, totalling a route length of 97.5 km. Of these, the highest priority was given to the busy North-South axis between Dum Dum
Dum Dum
Dum Dum is a city and a municipality in North 24 Parganas district in the state of West Bengal, India. It is a neighbourhood in North-west Kolkata and the location of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport, formerly Dum Dum Airport.Dum Dum is a well known place in greater Kolkata...

 and Kavi Subhash (New Garia
Garia
Garia is a posh neighbourhood in south Kolkata, India. It includes the localities of Naktala, New Garia, Chak Garia, Garia Park, Baghajatin, Baishnabghata-Patuli, Techno City, Model Town, Ganguly Bagan, Tentulberia, East Tentulberia, Ramgarh, Briji, Kamalgazi, Mahamayatala, Boral, Sreenagar,...

) over a length of 16.45 km, and the work on this project was sanctioned on June 1, 1972. The foundation stone of the project was laid by Indira Gandhi
Indira Gandhi
Indira Priyadarshini Gandhara was an Indian politician who served as the third Prime Minister of India for three consecutive terms and a fourth term . She was assassinated by Sikh extremists...

, the then Prime Minister of India
Prime Minister of India
The Prime Minister of India , as addressed to in the Constitution of India — Prime Minister for the Union, is the chief of government, head of the Council of Ministers and the leader of the majority party in parliament...

, on December 29, 1972.

At first, 5 lines were planned, but finally 3 selected. Those were -
  • Dum Dum
    Dum Dum
    Dum Dum is a city and a municipality in North 24 Parganas district in the state of West Bengal, India. It is a neighbourhood in North-west Kolkata and the location of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport, formerly Dum Dum Airport.Dum Dum is a well known place in greater Kolkata...

     - Mahanayak Uttam Kumar (Later extended to Kavi Subhash)
  • Bidhannagar (Salt Lake Sector V) - Ramrajatala
    Ramrajatala
    Ramrajatala a neighborhood of the city of Howrah, in Howrah district of West Bengal, India. The name of the area comes from the presence of a Mandir dedicated to Rama and the months long worship undertaken by thousands of people every year at the temple...

     (Truncated till Howrah Maidan)
  • Dakshineshwar - Thakurpukur (Route rechanged to Joka
    Joka
    Joka may refer to:* Joka, a character in Klonoa: Door to Phantomile*Joka, Kolkata, a locality in South West Kolkata, India, the home of IIM Calcutta and DesiGuru*Tilapia joka, species of aquarium fish...

     - BBD Bag)


Of these, only Line 1 (Dum Dum to Kavi Subhash) has been constructed.

Since the commencement of construction, the project had to contend with several hurdles, and actual construction of line 1 started only in 1978. The first section opened between Esplanade & Bhowanipore
Bhowanipore
Bhowanipore or Bhabanipur is the oldest locality of South Kolkata. It is located just south of the Lower Circular Road . It is the second largest locality in South Kolkata after Ballygunge...

 (Now called Netaji Bhawan) by Sanjay Seal and Tapan Kumar Nath. There were no connections of this stretch with the two depots at Dum Dum & Tollygunge(now called Mahanayak Uttam Kumar), and the metro operated on only a single line. Two years later, line 1 extended up to Tollygunge at the southern end and made into a double line. Services from Dum Dum to Tollygunge started finally in 1995, and full services from Dum Dum to New Garia commenced on October 7, 2010.

Kolkata Metro Master Plan

In 2010, the Railway Ministry announced four new metro link projects for the expansion of Kolkata Metro, which currently has only one operational line (North-South Metro) and a second line under construction (East-West Metro). These new projects are:
  • Joka to B.B.D. Bag
  • Noapara to Barasat via Kolkata Airport
    Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport
    Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport is an airport located in Kolkata, West Bengal, India, serving the greater Kolkata metro area. The airport was originally known as Dum Dum Airport before being renamed in the honour of Subhas Chandra Bose...

  • New Garia to Kolkata Airport
    Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport
    Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport is an airport located in Kolkata, West Bengal, India, serving the greater Kolkata metro area. The airport was originally known as Dum Dum Airport before being renamed in the honour of Subhas Chandra Bose...

  • Baranagar-Dakshineshwar-Barrackpore metro link


As of 2011, all the projects are reportedly under construction.

Major modifications

  • Construction of station at Noapara

Currently, Line 1 has a depot facility at Noapara. In view of the four new projects, a metro station will need to be constructed at Noapara, thus extending Line 1 from Dumdum to Noapara, which will further be extended to Dakshineshwar. This new extension will have interchanges with two new lines. The metro line connecting Barrackpore will meet the new extension as well as terminate at Baranagar, while the metro line from Barasat will meet the same extension as well as terminate at Noapara.
  • Realignment of Line 2 (East-West Metro)

As per the new projects, Kolkata Airport
Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport
Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport is an airport located in Kolkata, West Bengal, India, serving the greater Kolkata metro area. The airport was originally known as Dum Dum Airport before being renamed in the honour of Subhas Chandra Bose...

 will be served by two lines, namely the New Garia to Kolkata Airport
Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport
Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport is an airport located in Kolkata, West Bengal, India, serving the greater Kolkata metro area. The airport was originally known as Dum Dum Airport before being renamed in the honour of Subhas Chandra Bose...

 Metro and the Noapara to Barasat Metro. This has jeopardised plans of connecting East-West Metro with the Kolkata Airport. The East-West Metro has thus been realigned to terminate at Sector V, Sale Lake.
  • Upgradation of "Central" metro station

To accommodate the intersection of Line 2 (East-West Metro) with Line 1 (North-South Metro), the Central
Central (Kolkata Metro)
Central is a station of the of the Kolkata Metro located in central Kolkata on Bipin Behari Ganguli Street, which will serve the Line 2 on the Metro in a few years and is being upgraded....

 station of Line 1 will have to be modified for providing an interchange between two lines. It is thus worth noting that the Central
Central (Kolkata Metro)
Central is a station of the of the Kolkata Metro located in central Kolkata on Bipin Behari Ganguli Street, which will serve the Line 2 on the Metro in a few years and is being upgraded....

 station would be one of the busiest stations of Kolkata Metro.

Line 1 (North-South Metro)

Line 1 has a total length of 25 kilometres (15.5 mi) with 23 stations of which 15 are underground. It has a combination of elevated, at-grade and underground lines and uses 5 feet 6 inch Broad Gauge
Indian gauge
Indian gauge is a track gauge commonly used in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Argentina and Chile. It is also the gauge that is used on BART , in northern California.- Scotland :...

 rolling stock. It was the first underground railway to be built in India, with the first operations commencing in October, 1984 and the full stretch that was initially planned being operational by February, 1995. On 28 December 2010, it became the 17th zone of the Indian Railways
Indian Railways
Indian Railways , abbreviated as IR , is a departmental undertaking of Government of India, which owns and operates most of India's rail transport. It is overseen by the Ministry of Railways of the Government of India....

. The New Delhi Metro, which opened in 2002, is the second such urban metro rail network in India. However, being the country’s first, and a completely indigenous process, the construction of the Kolkata Metro was more of a trial-and-error affair, in contrast to the Delhi Metro, which has seen the involvement of numerous international consultants. As a result, it took nearly 23 years to completely construct a 17 km underground railway.http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_gA1FDJUp4mU/TK6d-sDE59I/AAAAAAAAA4k/lagES4UM_w0/s1600/Underground_Metro,_Calcutta.JPG

The current stations in Line 1 are:
  1. Kavi Subhash metro station
    Kavi Subhash Metro Station
    The Kavi Subhash Metro Station, formerly New Garia Metro Station, is the southern terminal station of the North-South corridor of Kolkata Metro in Kolkata, India. It is named after poet Subhash Mukhopadhyay...

     (Interchange with New Garia railway station for Sealdah
    Sealdah
    Sealdah is one of the major train stations serving Kolkata in India, the others being Howrah Station, Shalimar Station and Kolkata Railway Station. Sealdah is one of the busiest rail stations in India and an important suburban rail terminal...

     South section Suburban local trains; formerly: New Garia
    New Garia
    New Garia is a neighbourhood located in Garia, Kolkata, India. It is bounded by Eastern Metropolitan Bypass to the north, Patuli to the west, Garia Railway Station to the south and Chakgaria to the east.-Transport:...

    )
  2. Shahid Khudiram
    Khudiram Bose
    Khudiram Bose was a Bengali revolutionary, one of the youngest revolutionaries early in the Indian independence movement...

     metro station
    Khudiram Bose Metro Station
    Shahid Khudiram Metro Station is a station of the of Kolkata Metro in Garia, a southern suburb of Kolkata, India. The station is named in honour of the Bengali revolutionary Khudiram Bose. The elevated structure is located above the drainage channel between Pranabananda Road and Garia Station Road...

     (Formerly: Briji)
  3. Kavi Nazrul
    Kazi Nazrul Islam
    Kazi Nazrul Islam , sobriquet Bidrohi Kobi, was a Bengali poet, musician and revolutionary who pioneered poetic works espousing intense spiritual rebellion against fascism and oppression. His poetry and nationalist activism earned him the popular title of Bidrohi Kobi...

     metro station
    Kavi Nazrul Metro Station
    Kavi Nazrul Metro Station is a metro station at Garia, a part of the Kolkata Metro....

     (Formerly: Garia
    Garia
    Garia is a posh neighbourhood in south Kolkata, India. It includes the localities of Naktala, New Garia, Chak Garia, Garia Park, Baghajatin, Baishnabghata-Patuli, Techno City, Model Town, Ganguly Bagan, Tentulberia, East Tentulberia, Ramgarh, Briji, Kamalgazi, Mahamayatala, Boral, Sreenagar,...

     Bazar
    )
  4. Gitanjali
    Gitanjali
    Gitanjali is a collection of 103 English poems, largely translations, of the Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore.This volume became very famous in the West, and was widely translated....

     metro station (Formerly: Naktala
    Naktala
    Naktala is a neighbourhood in South Kolkata, near Garia under the Kolkata Municipal Corporation in West Bengal, India. It is bounded by Ganguly Bagan to the north, Bansdroni to the west, Garia Crossing to the south and Baishnabghata to the east.- History :Previously forest, swampland and a...

    )
  5. Masterda Surya Sen
    Surya Sen
    Surya Sen was a prominent Bengali freedom fighter, an Indian independence activist and the chief architect of anti-British freedom movement in Chittagong, Bengal...

     metro station
    Masterda Surya Sen Metro Station
    Masterda Surya Sen is a station of the of Kolkata Metro....

     (Formerly: Bansdroni
    Bansdroni
    Bansdroni is an eminent locality in South Kolkata. It is connected to the city with the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Road linking Garia in the south and Tollygunge in the North...

    )
  6. Netaji metro station (Formerly: Kudghat)
  7. Mahanayak Uttam Kumar
    Uttam Kumar
    Uttam Kumar is one of the most famous names of Indian Bengali Cinema.Born Arun Kumar Chatterjee in 1926 at Ahiritola, North Calcutta he is widely known as Uttam Kumar and Mahanayak . He remains as much of a cultural icon as he had been in his lifetime...

     metro station
    Mahanayak Uttam Kumar Metro Station
    Mahanayak Uttam Kumar, formerly Tollygunge, is a station of the of Kolkata Metro. The station has been named for Uttam Kumar, one of the most famous names of Indian Bengali Cinema....

     (Formerly: Tollygunge
    Tollygunge
    Tollygunge is a locality of South Kolkata. It is flanked by the Eastern Railway south suburban line to the north, Lake Gardens and Golf Green in the east, the Pashchim & Purba Putiaries in the south, and Behala in the west.-History:...

    )
  8. Rabindra Sarobar
    Rabindra Sarobar
    Rabindra Sarobar is an artificial lake in south Kolkata in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is popularly referred to as the "Lungs of Calcutta"....

     metro station
    Rabindra Sarobar Metro Station
    Rabindra Sarobar is a station of the of Kolkata Metro. It is situated on Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Road at Charu Chandra Avenue. The station is named for Rabindra Sarobar, an artificial lake and the surrounding area of south Kolkata....

  9. Kalighat
    Kalighat
    Kalighat is a locality of Kolkata, India. One of the oldest neighborhoods in South Kolkata, Kalighat is also densely populated and vibrant -- with a rich history of cultural intermingling with the various foreign incursions into the area over time....

     metro station
  10. Jatin Das Park metro station
  11. Netaji Bhavan (Formerly: Bhowanipore
    Bhowanipore
    Bhowanipore or Bhabanipur is the oldest locality of South Kolkata. It is located just south of the Lower Circular Road . It is the second largest locality in South Kolkata after Ballygunge...

    )
  12. Rabindra Sadan
    Rabindra Sadan
    Rabindra Sadan is a cultural centre and theatre in Calcutta, located near the Nandan cinema and cultural complex and the Academy of Fine Arts on AJC Bose Road in South Kolkata. Construction began on 5 August 1961 and ended October 1967...

     metro station
    Rabindra Sadan Metro Station
    Rabindra Sadan is one of the busiest metro stations of the Kolkata Metro. It is named for the nearby Rabindra Sadan cultural centre and theatre. The station is located at the junction of Jawaharlal Nehru Road and Chowringhee Road, at the intersection with Circus Avenue....

  13. Maidan
    Maidan (Kolkata)
    The Maidan is the largest urban park in Kolkata in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is a vast stretch of field and home to numerous play grounds, including the famous cricketing venue Eden Gardens, several football stadia, and Kolkata Race Course. Maidan is dotted with several statues and...

     metro station
    Maidan Metro Station
    Maidan is a station of the of Kolkata Metro. The station is located on Jawaharlal Nehru Road at Middleton Street. It is named for the Maidan the largest urban park in Kolkata, which lies on the west side of Jawaharlal Nehru Road....

     (Proposed name: Gostho Pal)
  14. Park Street
    Park Street, Kolkata
    Mother Teresa Sarani, formerly Park Street and still often called by that name, and originally Burial Ground Road, is a street in the city of Kolkata , India. The street runs through what was a deer park of Sir Elijah Impey, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court in Calcutta from 1773 to 1789, hence...

     metro station
    Park Street Metro Station
    Park Street is a station of the of Kolkata Metro.The station is located on Jawaharlal Nehru Road at Mother Teresa Sarani, previously called Park Street after which the station was named....

  15. Esplanade metro station
    Esplanade Metro Station
    Esplanade is a station of the of Kolkata Metro. The station is located at the northern end of Jawaharlal Nehru Road in Kolkata....

  16. Chandni Chowk
    Chandni Chowk
    Chandni Chowk , originally meaning moonlit square or market, is one of the oldest and busiest markets in Old Delhi, now in central north Delhi, India...

     metro station
  17. Central
    Central (Kolkata Metro)
    Central is a station of the of the Kolkata Metro located in central Kolkata on Bipin Behari Ganguli Street, which will serve the Line 2 on the Metro in a few years and is being upgraded....

  18. Mahatma Gandhi Road
    Mahatma Gandhi Road, Kolkata
    Mahatma Gandhi Road, more commonly M.G. Road, is a principal East-West thoroughfare in north Kolkata , the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal.-Stretch:...

     metro station
  19. Girish Park metro station
  20. Shobhabazar
    Shobhabazar
    Shobhabazar is a neighbourhood in north Kolkata, earlier known as Calcutta, in the Indian state of West Bengal.-History:...

     Sutanuti
    Sutanuti
    Sutanuti was one of the three villages which were merged to form the city of Kolkata in India. The other two villages were Gobindapur and Kalikata. Job Charnock, an administrator with the British East India Company is traditionally credited with the honour of founding the city...

     metro station
    Shobhabazar Sutanuti Metro Station
    Shobhabazar Sutanuti is a station of the of Kolkata Metro. It is located near Shobhabazar....

  21. Shyambazar
    Shyambazar
    Shyambazar is a neighbourhood in north Kolkata, earlier known as Calcutta, in the Indian state of West Bengal. The area, under Shyampukur police station of Kolkata Police, has been, along with neighbouring Bagbazar, the citadel of the Bengali aristocracy, in a part of what was earlier known as...

     metro station
  22. Belgachhia metro station
  23. Dum Dum
    Dum Dum
    Dum Dum is a city and a municipality in North 24 Parganas district in the state of West Bengal, India. It is a neighbourhood in North-west Kolkata and the location of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport, formerly Dum Dum Airport.Dum Dum is a well known place in greater Kolkata...

     metro station
    Dum Dum Metro Station
    Dum Dum is a station of the of Kolkata Metro. The metro station adjoins the platforms of the railway station where connections can be made with Indian Railways services....


Extension of Line 1

The plan to extend Line 1 in the north from Dumdum to Dakshineswar (5.2 km) is under execution. The construction of this stretch started in February 2010. It will be met by the metro line from Barrackpore
Barrackpore
Barrackpore or Barrackpur is headquarters of Barrackpore subdivision in North 24 Parganas district in the Indian state of West Bengal. The town was a military and administrative center under British rule, and was the scene of several acts of rebellion against Britain during the 19th century...

 at Baranagar (12.5 km).

The stations on this stretch will be -

# Dumdum
# Ma Sarada Devi
Sarada Devi
Sarada Devi , born Saradamani Mukhopadhyaya , was the wife and spiritual counterpart of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, a nineteenth century mystic of Bengal. Sarada Devi is also reverentially addressed as the Holy Mother by the followers of the Ramakrishna monastic order...

 (Noapara)
# Swami Vivekananda
Swami Vivekananda
Swami Vivekananda , born Narendranath Dutta , was the chief disciple of the 19th century mystic Ramakrishna Paramahansa and the founder of the Ramakrishna Math and the Ramakrishna Mission...

 (Baranagar)
# Dakshineswar
Dakshineswar
Dakshineswar is a town in Barrackpore subdivision of North 24 Parganas district in West Bengal.-History:In 1847, Rani Rashmoni of Bengal began the construction of the famous Dakshineswar Kali Temple. Rani, who was a rich and pious widow of colonial Bengal had a divine revelation ordering her to...


Line 2 (East-West Metro)

East-West Metro, a project to connect Kolkata with Howrah by an underwater metro line has been cleared by the central government. The total length will be 14.67 km (8.9 km underground and 5.77 km elevated). This line will be constructed and maintained by a separate body named Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation
Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation
Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation , also known as East West Metro, is in charge of connecting the twin cities Kolkata and Howrah. The proposed metro rail route will be partly underground including the part that will be under the river Ganges. The 13.7 km route will have six station each in underground...

 (KMRC).However in January 2011 KMRC and the entire EW metro corridor was taken over by the Ministry of Railways from the Ministry of Urban development and the state Govt. of West Bengal. The WB State Govt. decided to handover the project to Indian Railways
Indian Railways
Indian Railways , abbreviated as IR , is a departmental undertaking of Government of India, which owns and operates most of India's rail transport. It is overseen by the Ministry of Railways of the Government of India....

 because Govt. of WB was going through a huge financial crisis. So now the EW Metro's majority stake is with the Indian Railways and the remaining part is as a loan from the Japan Bank of International Cooperation.

The West Bengal government had earlier appointed Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Limited to conduct a feasibility study of the project after which the government had initially put the project on hold due to funding issues.The underwater metro plan was first thought of when the first metro service was inaugurated in Kolkata in 1984 by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The route is to cover 12 stations and go under the river through a tunnel.
Foundation Stone was laid on 22 February 2009.

Proposed Route

Construction of line 2 started in March 2009. The East-West Metro will run from Salt Lake Sector 5 (in the east) to Howrah Maidan(in the west). Unlike line 1, which is operated by the Indian Railways, line 2 will be operated by a new company - Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation (KMRC). Trains will be air conditioned, and underground stations will be equipped with platform screen doors. It will run on standard (4' 8.5", 1435mm) gauge, unlike line 1, which uses broad (5' 6", 1676mm) gauge.

Proposed stations are -
  1. Salt Lake Sector 5
  2. Karunamoyee Housing Estate
  3. Central Park
    Central Park
    Central Park is a public park in the center of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park initially opened in 1857, on of city-owned land. In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the park with a plan they entitled the Greensward Plan...

  4. City Center
    City Centre (shopping mall)
    City Centre is a shopping mall in Kolkata, India. It is located in the Salt Lake township of Kolkata. It is the twin mall of the Forum mall situated at the other part of the city.-Localities:...

  5. Bengal Chemical Office
    Bengal Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals
    Bengal Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals Limited , established in 1901, is a Public Sector Undertaking of the Government of India and is India's first pharmaceutical company. The company was started by Prafulla Chandra Roy in Kolkata and has since manufactured such household Indian products as...

  6. Yuva Bharati Krirangan
  7. Phoolbagan
  8. Sealdah Station
  9. Central
    Central (Kolkata Metro)
    Central is a station of the of the Kolkata Metro located in central Kolkata on Bipin Behari Ganguli Street, which will serve the Line 2 on the Metro in a few years and is being upgraded....

     (Interchange with Line 1)
  10. Mahakaran
    Writers' Building
    The Writers' Building is the secretariat building of the State Government of West Bengal in India. It is and is located in West Bengal's capital city of Kolkata. The Writers' Building originally served as the office for writers of the British East India Company, hence the name...

  11. Howrah Station
    Howrah station
    Howrah Station is one of the four intercity train stations serving Howrah and Kolkata, India; the others are Sealdah Station, Shalimar Station and Kolkata railway station in Kolkata. Howrah is situated on the West bank of the Hooghly River, linked to Kolkata by the magnificent Howrah Bridge which...

  12. Howrah Maidan


Between Mahakaran & Howrah Station
Howrah station
Howrah Station is one of the four intercity train stations serving Howrah and Kolkata, India; the others are Sealdah Station, Shalimar Station and Kolkata railway station in Kolkata. Howrah is situated on the West bank of the Hooghly River, linked to Kolkata by the magnificent Howrah Bridge which...

, the metro will run 100 ft (30.5 m). under the Hooghly River (first underwater metro in India). The line will be elevated between Salt Lake Sector 5 and Yuva Bharati Krirangan, and the remaining stretch will be underground.Transfer stations will be located at Sealdah and Howrah. Completion date is estimated to be October 31, 2014.

In future the line may be extended to Newtown
Rajarhat
Rajarhat Gopalpur , a neighbourhood of Calcutta, located in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, is a fast-growing planned new city. It is situated near the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport. Many high-profile industrialists of national and international standing are...

 (in the east) and to Domjur
Domjur
Domjur is a census town in Sadar subdivision of Howrah district in the Indian state of West Bengal.-Geography:Domjur is located at . It has an average elevation of 11 metres .-Demographics:...

 (in the west).

As on 3rd Nov 2011, a proposal to extend the west to Sankrail is under consideration. it will help people traveling in South Eastern Railway to easily enter the city.

Line 3 (Joka-B.B.D. Bagh Metro)

A 16.72 km long metro line from Joka (in extreme South Kolkata) and B B D Bagh (in central Kolkata) is also under construction . It is being constructed by RVNL and the tender has gone to Simplex Infrastructures.

The proposed stations on this route are -
  1. Joka
  2. Thakurpukur
  3. Shilpara (Sakherbazar)
  4. Barisha (Behala Chowrasta)
  5. Behala Bazar
  6. Taratala
  7. Majherhat
  8. Mominpur
  9. Kidderpore
  10. Hastings
  11. Park Street
    Park Street, Kolkata
    Mother Teresa Sarani, formerly Park Street and still often called by that name, and originally Burial Ground Road, is a street in the city of Kolkata , India. The street runs through what was a deer park of Sir Elijah Impey, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court in Calcutta from 1773 to 1789, hence...

     (Mother Teresa Sarani)
  12. Dharmatala
  13. Mahakaran (Binay Badal Dinesh Bag)


The proposed Esplanade station was not to be the same one as that of Line 1 (North-South Metro), but completely different stations. Park Street will serve as an interchange between Line 3 and Line 1. The Esplande station on Line 3 will now be Dharmatala station.

Line 4 (Noapara-Barasat Metro)

The project to build a 18.5 km long line from Noapara to Barasat
Barasat
Barasat is a city in the outskirts of Kolkata, West Bengal India and is the district head quarter of the district North 24 Parganas. It is a part of the area covered by Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority. The town is an important railway and roadway junction...

 via Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport
Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport
Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport is an airport located in Kolkata, West Bengal, India, serving the greater Kolkata metro area. The airport was originally known as Dum Dum Airport before being renamed in the honour of Subhas Chandra Bose...

. is also sanctioned and construction work has commenced on this stretch.

The proposed stations on this route are-
  1. Ma Sarada Devi
    Sarada Devi
    Sarada Devi , born Saradamani Mukhopadhyaya , was the wife and spiritual counterpart of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, a nineteenth century mystic of Bengal. Sarada Devi is also reverentially addressed as the Holy Mother by the followers of the Ramakrishna monastic order...

     (Noapara)
  2. Maulana Abul Kalam Azad
    Maulana Abul Kalam Azad
    Maulana Abul Kalam Muhiyuddin Ahmed was an Indian Muslim scholar and a senior political leader of the Indian independence movement, who lived from 11 November 1888 – 22 February 1958. He was one of the most prominent Muslim leaders to support Hindu-Muslim unity, opposing the partition of India on...

     (Dum Dum Cantonment)
  3. Jibananda
    Jibanananda Das
    Jibanananda Das was a noted Bengali poet. He is considered one of the precursors who introduced modernist poetry to Bengali Literature, at a period when it was influenced by Rabindranath Tagore's Romantic poetry....

     (Jessore Road)
  4. Jai Hind (Kolkata Airport
    Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport
    Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport is an airport located in Kolkata, West Bengal, India, serving the greater Kolkata metro area. The airport was originally known as Dum Dum Airport before being renamed in the honour of Subhas Chandra Bose...

    )
  5. Loknath
    Baba Lokenath Brahmachari
    Baba Lokenath Brahmachari or simply Baba Lokenath was an 18th Century Hindu saint and philosopher in Bengal.- Life and Death :Baba Lokenath Brahmachari was born on Janmastami, the 18th day of Bhadra,1137 Bengali Era to a Brahmin family in the village of Chaurasi Chakla, named as Kochua, in...

     (Birati)
  6. Mother Teresa
    Mother Teresa
    Mother Teresa , born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu , was a Roman Catholic nun of Albanian ethnicity and Indian citizenship, who founded the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta, India, in 1950...

     (New Barrackpore)
  7. Priya Thakur (Madhyamgram)
  8. Bibhuti Bhushan
    Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay
    Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay was one of the most famous Bengali novelist and writer of modern Bengali literature...

     (Hridaypur)
  9. Barasat

Line 5 (Baranagar-Barrackpore Metro)

A second line will emerge from Baranagar that will run upto Barrackpore
Barrackpore
Barrackpore or Barrackpur is headquarters of Barrackpore subdivision in North 24 Parganas district in the Indian state of West Bengal. The town was a military and administrative center under British rule, and was the scene of several acts of rebellion against Britain during the 19th century...

 and will have the following proposed stations -
  1. Swami Vivekananda
    Swami Vivekananda
    Swami Vivekananda , born Narendranath Dutta , was the chief disciple of the 19th century mystic Ramakrishna Paramahansa and the founder of the Ramakrishna Math and the Ramakrishna Mission...

     (Baranagar)
  2. Krishnakali (Kamarhati)
  3. Agarpara
  4. Gandhi Ashram (Sodepur
    Sodepur
    Sodepur is a small town yet very fast growing upmarket residencial suburb located about 15 km from Kolkata, which is one of the major Indian cities. Sodepur is a part of the Panihati Municipality under Barrackpore sub-division and North 24 Parganas district of the state of West Bengal...

    )
  5. Sarat Chandra (Panihati
    Panihati
    Panihati is a city and a municipality under Khardaha/ Ghola police stations of Barrackpore subdivision. in North 24 Parganas district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is a part of the area covered by Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority....

    )
  6. Subhashnagar
  7. Rishi Bankim
    Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay
    Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay was a famous Bengali writer, poet and journalist. He was the composer of India’s national song Vande Mataram, originally a Bengali and Sanskrit stotra personifying India as a mother goddess and inspiring the activists during the Indian Freedom Movement...

     (Kharhdaha)
  8. Rajendra Prasad
    Rajendra Prasad
    Dr. Rajendra Prasad was an Indian politician and educator. He was one of the architects of the Indian Republic, having drafted its first constitution and serving as the first president of independent India...

     (Power Plant)
  9. Shan Nawaz Khan
    Shah Nawaz Khan (general)
    Shahnawaz Khan was an Indian soldier who is remembered as an officer who served in the Second Indian National Army during World War II and later came to be one of the three defendants in the first of the INA trials in 1946....

     (Titagarh)
  10. Anukul (Talpukur)
  11. Mangal Pandey
    Mangal Pandey
    Mangal Pandey was a sepoy in the 34th Regiment of the Bengal Native Infantry of the English East India Company. He is widely known in India as one of its first freedom fighters...

     (Barrackpore)

Line 6 (New Garia-Airport Metro)

A connection between New Garia and the Airport(32 km) via E M Bypass , Saltlake and Rajarhat is on the cards in order to help reduce travel time between the southern fringes of Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...

 to the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport
Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport
Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport is an airport located in Kolkata, West Bengal, India, serving the greater Kolkata metro area. The airport was originally known as Dum Dum Airport before being renamed in the honour of Subhas Chandra Bose...

. The work on this New Garia-Airport was inaugurated by Mamata Banerjee
Mamata Banerjee
Mamata Banerjee is the 11th and current chief minister of the Indian state of West Bengal. She is the first woman to hold the office. Banerjee founded All India Trinamool Congress in 1997 and became chairperson, after separating from the Indian National Congress...

 on February 7, 2011 with a project deadline of six months. The deadline is surely going to be missed as construction work hasn't begun anywhere yet.

The 32 km link between Kavi Subhas (New Garia) and the airport, to be set up at a cost of Rs 400 crore, will have 24 stations with the terminal Airport station being an underground one.
The stations, as declared till now, will be named after eminent personalities.
  1. Kavi Subhash metro station
    Kavi Subhash Metro Station
    The Kavi Subhash Metro Station, formerly New Garia Metro Station, is the southern terminal station of the North-South corridor of Kolkata Metro in Kolkata, India. It is named after poet Subhash Mukhopadhyay...

  2. Satyajit Ray Station
    Satyajit Ray
    Satyajit Ray was an Indian Bengali filmmaker. He is regarded as one of the greatest auteurs of 20th century cinema. Ray was born in the city of Kolkata into a Bengali family prominent in the world of arts and literature...

     (Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute
    Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute
    Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute is a film institute in Kolkata, West Bengal, India.The institute was established in 1995, and registered as a Society on 18.8.95 under the West Bengal Societies Registration Act, 1961 and is an autonomous society funded by Ministry of Information and...

    )
  3. Jyotindra Nandy Station (Mukundapur)
  4. Sukanta Bhattacharya Station
    Sukanta Bhattacharya
    Sukanta Bhattacharya was a Bengali poet and playwright. Along with Rabindranath Tagore and Kazi Nazrul Islam, he was one of the key figures of modern Bengali poetry, despite the fact that most of his works had been in publication posthumously...

     (Kalikapur)
  5. Hemanta Mukhopadhyay Station
    Hemanta Kumar Mukhopadhyay
    Hemanta Kumar Mukhopadhyay also known as Hemanta Mukherjee was an Bengali singer, composer and producer. He sang in Hindi films under the name Hemant Kumar.-Early life:...

     (Kasba Golpark/Ruby Hospital)
  6. Barun Sengupta Station
    Barun Sengupta
    Barun Sengupta , the founder-editor of Bartaman newspaper, was a Bengali journalist and popular political critic...

     (Science City
    Science City Kolkata
    Science City, Kolkata is the largest science centre in the Indian subcontinent under National Council of Science Museums , Ministry of Culture, Government of India, is at the crossing of Eastern Metropolitan Bypass and J B S Haldane avenue, Kolkata...

    )
  7. Gour Kishore Ghosh Station
    Gour Kishore Ghosh
    Gour Kishore Ghosh , was a celebrated Bengali writer and journalist.-Early life:Gour Kishore Ghosh was born in Hat Gopalpur village in the Jessore district in undivided bengal, , on the 22nd of June 1923...

     (Chingrighata)
  8. IT Station (Salt Lake Sector V)
  9. Kala Kshetra Station (Rajarhat CBD 2
    Rajarhat
    Rajarhat Gopalpur , a neighbourhood of Calcutta, located in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, is a fast-growing planned new city. It is situated near the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport. Many high-profile industrialists of national and international standing are...

    )
  10. Titumir Station
    Titumir
    Titumir , properly Titu Mir, was a rebel against the zamindars and British colonial system in 19th century Bengal, part of British India. He rebelled against the rich landlords and colonial British rulers and put up an impressive armed resistance. Along with his followers, he built a Bamboo fort ...

     (Rajarhat City Centre
    Rajarhat
    Rajarhat Gopalpur , a neighbourhood of Calcutta, located in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, is a fast-growing planned new city. It is situated near the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport. Many high-profile industrialists of national and international standing are...

    )
  11. Rabindra Tirtha (Rajarhat
    Rajarhat
    Rajarhat Gopalpur , a neighbourhood of Calcutta, located in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, is a fast-growing planned new city. It is situated near the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport. Many high-profile industrialists of national and international standing are...

    )
  12. Ritwik Ghatak Station (Bantala Road)
  13. Jai Hind Station (Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport
    Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport
    Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport is an airport located in Kolkata, West Bengal, India, serving the greater Kolkata metro area. The airport was originally known as Dum Dum Airport before being renamed in the honour of Subhas Chandra Bose...

    )

See also

  • Kolkata Metro Line 1
    Kolkata Metro Line 1
    The Line 1 of the Kolkata Metro is a rapid transit system serving Kolkata, South 24 Parganas and North 24 Parganas in Indian state of West Bengal. It consists of 23 metro stations from Dum Dum Metro Station to Kavi Subhash Metro Station, of which 6 are elevated, 2 are surface and the remaining 15...

  • Kolkata Metro Line 2
    Kolkata Metro Line 2
    The Line 2 of the Kolkata Metro is a rapid transit system under construction which would serve Kolkata, Salt Lake and Howrah in Indian state of West Bengal. It would consist of 12 metro stations from Salt Lake Sector V in the east to Howrah Maidan in the west, of which 6 would be elevated and 6...

  • List of Kolkata metro stations
  • Kolkata Metro Rolling Stock
  • List of rapid transit systems
  • Kolkata tram
    Calcutta Tramways Company
    The Calcutta Tramways Company Limited is a West Bengal, India government-run company which runs trams in Kolkata and buses in and around Kolkata...

  • Kolkata Lightrail
    Kolkata LRTS
    Kolkata Light Rail Transit System is again a mass rapid rransit system proposed for the city of Kolkata in India. The West Bengal government and SREI Infrastructure Finance signed a memorandum of understanding to set up the light rail transit system...

  • Kolkata Monorail
    Kolkata Monorail
    Kolkata Monorail is a rail-based transit project planned for the Indian city of Kolkata. It is the First awarded Monorail project in India before Mumbai. The Kolkata-based Andromeda Technologies has received the order for building a monorail public transport system.- Phase I :Corridor 1: Budge...

  • Kolkata Suburban Railway
    Kolkata Suburban Railway
    The Kolkata Suburban Railway is the rail system for the suburbs surrounding the city of Kolkata . Railways such as this are important and heavily-used infrastructure in India....


External links

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