Central Govt approves revised cost of Kolkata East-West Metro Rail Project

New Delhi (Urban Transport News): Central Government has approved the Ministry of Railways’ proposal for a revised cost estimate for construction of the Kolkata East-West Metro Corridor at an estimated cost of Rs. 8574.98  crore today.

The project envisages the construction of a Metro Corridor between Salt Lake Sector-V to Howrah Maidan in West Bengal for a total route length of 16.6 km. The project is being implemented by Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation Limited (KMRCL), a PSU set up under the Ministry of Railways as a special purpose vehicle.

The pre-pandemic target for the completion of their project was December 2021. Efforts are being taken to minimize the impact of the pandemic on the completion of the project. The project includes immense technological challenges like a tunnel below the river Hooghly which is the 1st transportation tunnel in India under any major river as well as Howrah Station which is one of the deepest Metro stations in India.

"Kolkata East-West Metro Corridor Project will not only provide a safe mode of transportation but also boost economic activities & job creation in the region. This corridor will help Kolkata transform into a truly modern & world-class city," said Railway Minister Piyush Goyal.

The mega project envisions the creation of efficient transit connectivity between the business district of Kolkata with the industrial city of Howrah in the west and Salt Lake City in the east through a safe, accessible and comfortable mode of public transport.

Since this corridor connects the three most important parts of the Kolkata Metropolitan Area i.e. Howrah, Business area of Kolkata, and New Settlements in Salt Lake it is going to revolutionize the mass rapid transport in Kolkata and adjoining Howrah and Bidhanangar. This will connect important landmarks like Howrah, Sealdah, Esplanade, and Salt Lake Sector-V which is an IT hub.

It will integrate multiple modes of transport like the Metro, Sub-urban Railways, ferry, and bus transport by constructing interchange hubs. This will ensure a smooth and seamless mode of transport to lakhs of daily commuters.

For more details about the project, please explore the Kolkata Metro page of Urban Transport News.