The revised cost for Kolkata East West Metro Corridor Project has got the Union government’s nod. The project is expected to cost Rs 8,575 crore and it will be completed by December 2021. The East West Metro Corridor Project will improve urban connectivity and ease traffic congestion. Besides, it will provide a cleaner mobility solution to commuters in Kolkata.
The project was sanctioned in 2008 and it had been moving at snail’s pace due to the issues like land acquisition and resettlement. Apart from this, alignment of the project had to be changed. These factors led to delay and cost escalation.
As the Kolkata East West Metro Corridor Project has got a new lease of life, here is what you should know about it.
- The East West Metro Corridor Project is 16.6 km long and it comprises of 12 stations. It will help join Howrah on the West bank of the river Hooghly with Salt Lake City on its east bank.
- The project will revolutionise the mass rapid transport in Kolkata and adjoining Howrah and Bidhanangar as it will connect three most important parts of the Kolkata Metropolitan Area. The three parts are Howrah, Business area of Kolkata and New Settlements in Salt Lake.
- After the completion of the project, important landmarks like Howrah, Sealdah, Esplanade and Salt Lake Sector-V, which is an IT hub, will become connected.
- It will also integrate multiple modes of transport like the metro, sub-urban railways, ferry and bus transport as under this project, interchange hubs will be constructed too.
- Nearly 10 lakh people are expected to use this corridor by 2035.
- Union Minister of Railways Piyush Goyal on October 4 inaugurated the Phoolbagan Station of the East-West Metro corridor. Phoolbagan is the first underground station to become operational in the corridor.
- The Kolkata East-West Metro corridor passes from below the surface and through elevated tracks. It also travels through underwater tunnels below River Hooghly.