First phase of Kolkata Metro’s Orange Line all set for launch; covers Kavi Subash to Hemanta Mukherjee in 7 mi – Times Now

Commercial services of the 5-km corridor between Kavi Subash and Hemanta Mukherjee stations are likely to be started soon after receiving mandatory clearance from the CRS. The stations in this stretch are Kavi Subhash, Satyajit Ray, Jyotirindra Nath Nandy, Kavi Sukanta and Hemanta Mukherjee.

Other stations on the remaining stretch are VIP Bazar, Ritwik Ghatak, Barun Sengupta, Beliaghata, Gour Kishore Ghosh, NICCO Park, Saltlake Sector V, Technopolis, Nazrul Tirtha, Swapno Bhor, Biswa Bangla Convention Centre, Kala Kshetra, Mother’s Wax Museum, Eco Park, Siksha Tirtha, City Centre II, Chinar Park, VIP Road/Teghoria and Biman Bandar (Airport).

In total, the stretch will have 24 stations. It will connect New Garia with NSC Bose International Airport and will pass through eastern parts of Kolkata, Salt Lake and New Town. It will have two depots in New Town and New Garia. This stretch is expected to attract a large number of commuters and will be one of the most prominent stretches as it connects the southern and eastern parts of the city with the airport.

Earlier this month, the Metro authorities conducted full-speed trials using coaches from the Blue Line. The train achieved a maximum speed of 83 kmph during the trials. “The train seamlessly covered the five stations in 7 minutes flat,” a senior metro official told media.

This stretch will use on the one-train system where a single rake will go up and down without signals. The Rs 3951.98 crore project was sanctioned in the budget of 2010–11 by Mamata Banerjee and the project deadline was six years.