After almost thirty years of Metro, Kolkata Metro is the very first rapid transit system of India.
The city’s lifeline is expected to get stretched to 110 km in the next three years.
One line of the Kolkata Metro web is operational. The other lines, five more, are still under construction.
The operational line (Dum Dum- Kavi Subhas Metro) boards above 600000 passengers on daily basis.
Kolkata Metro offers the cheapest and safest mode of transportation in Kolkata.
You’ll enjoy clean environment and save money on transportation services, as you can get almost everywhere by Kolkata metro.
In 1973, Metropolitan Transport Project was launched, which formulated the idea of Rapid Transit System.
The plan involved the construction of five mass rapid-transit lines, covering a route of 97.5 km.
The north-south axis of Kolkata was offered the highest priority (Dum Dum to Kavi Subhas).
Project’s foundation was laid by the then PM of India and Indira Gandhi (29 December 1972).
- Also Known As: Metro Railway
- Passengers/Day 600000
- Lines 6 (built,planned and under construction)
- Fares: from INR 4 to 12
- 24h operation: No
- Driverless trains: No
- Average Speed: 30 km/h
- Max. Speed: 55 km/h
- Operator: Metro Railway, Kolkata (under Central Government Ministry of Railways)
- Website: Kolkata Metro
Lines and Stations
In the beginning of the project,five line plans were introduced. Three of them were selected to start construction:
- Dum Dum toMahanayak Uttam Kumar (which was later stretched to Kavi Subhash)
- Dakshineshwar – Thakurpukur (change of route, Joka to BBD Bagh)
- Bidhannagar to Ramrajatala (constructed till Howrah Maidan)
All the six lines are as follows (planned, under construction and already built):
- Line 1: North South Metro. It runs from Dum Dum to Kavi Subhash Terminals. It is of 25 kilometer length and has 24 stations. It uses a combination of underground, at-grade and elevated lines. It first operations started on 24 Oct. 1984.
- Line 2: East West Metro. It’s a project of $838.4 million that will connect Kolkata to Howrah. It will be an underwater metro with route length of 14.67 km. This route will cover 12 stations between Kolkata and Howrah.
- Line 3: Joka to BBD Bagh Metro. This is an under construction line that starts from Joka (South Kolkata) and extend to BBD Bagh (Central Kolkata). The 16.72 km route length is expected to cover 13 stations including Joka and BBD Bagh.
- Line 4: Naopara to Barasat Metro. This will be a 18.5 km route from Naopara to Barasat Metro. Line 4 route is under-construction and will cover 9 stations.
- Line 5: Baranagar to Barrackpore Metro. This metro line will start from Baranagar and end at Barrackpore. This line is also under-construction and covers 11 stations.
- Line 6: New Garia or Kavi Subhas to Airport Metro. Line 6 route started on 7 Feb. 2011. It will link Kavi Subhas Terminal to Airport Metro. The route covers 24 stations, which is expected to offer promising benefits to commuters.
Schedule and frequency
Kolkata Metro operates from 7:00 to 11:45pm. Frequency is 5 minutes in peak hours and 12 minutes in non-peak hours.
Rates
Kolkata Metro is the cheapest transportation, starting with just INR 4 (0,05€). El ticket más caro es alrededor de los INR 12 (0,15€).
Infants or toddlers can travel free. Kolkata metro has recently introduced a token system and Smart card systems to avoid ticketing problems.
Connection to the airport
Dum Dum metro terminal is close to Netaji Subhash Airport, which means you can pick your ride right from the airport or its closest terminal.
Curious Facts about Calculta metro
Kolkata Metro (Calculta) is the very first underground metro railway.
Late Indira Gandhi laid the foundation of Kolkata Metro.
In a survey made by BBC (1984), Kolkata Metro ranked number one position.
A metro carries more than 2000 commuters in every round.
