Kolkata East-West Metro Corridor – 2020 (Phase 1A – Sector V to Saltlake Stadium)
After a long wait, Kolkata people are finally getting a piece of relief as the first phase (phase 1A) of the East-West corridor Metro has started its operation from today, i.e., 14th February 2020. In this post, we will be discussing every detail you must know about the Kolkata Metro East-West Metro corridor, even before you take a ride, like routes, timings, fares, available facilities, etc.
Kolkata was the first city in the country to have a metro service on 24th October 1984. To date, it has been extended till Garia on the southern side and Noapara on the northern side, mainly covering the North-South corridor. But now with the East-West Corridor, it is expanding further to connect many parts of the City.
The Kolkata East-West Metro was inaugurated by current Railway Minister Shri Piyush Goyal on 13th February 2020.
Ease of commuting in the Metro
No doubt metro service eases everyone’s life as a faster and eco-friendly commute. Generally, a Bus or Cab takes almost an hour to cross 4-5 kilometers, but in the Metro, it takes only 10 to 15 minutes.
Security Measures in New Metro Corridor
- As of now, 5 advanced AC racks are available.
- Screen doors are also installed in every station to prevent falling on the lines intentionally or accidentally.
- Metro racks, as well as platforms, are under CCTV surveillance
- These advanced metro racks can easily operate at 80 KM/H while consuming lower energy.
- Emergency telephones are available at platforms to connect with the control room immediately.
Facilities available in the New Kolkata Metro Line
- Lifts (max 13 people) and escalators
- Public Toilet
- Wheelchair
- Drinking-Water
- First-Aid Kit
- 2/4 wheeler parking, but it seems reserved for Metro officials only.
Current Kolkata East-West Metro Fare
As of now, there are only two zones operational.
- Zone 1 – INR 5 (0-2KM)
- Zone 2 – INR 10 (2-5KM)
Certainly, existing Kolkata Metro Smart cards will continue to work, don’t worry. Metro token or ticket gets a fresh look.
P.S. Kolkata Metro fare is still the lowest in the country.
New Kolkata Metro Line timings
Phase 1A of the Kolkata East-West Metro service will operate from 8 AM to 8 PM every day at 20-minute intervals. Also, each stop is 20 seconds.
Current Kolkata East-West Metro Route
Currently, this section of Metro service will cover a 4.8-kilometer stretch starting from Salt Lake Sector V to Salt Lake Stadium. Very soon, the service will extend to Phool Bagan in phase 1 B.
Currently operational stations of the East-West Metro Corridor
- Saltlake Sector V
- Karunamoyee
- Central Park
- City Center
- Bengal Chemical
- Saltlake Stadium
List of North-South Kolkata Metro Stations
- Dakhineswar
- Baranagar
- Noapara
- Dum Dum
- Belgachia
- Shyambazar
- Shovabazar
- Girish Park
- Mahatma Gandhi Road
- Central
- Chandni Chowk
- Esplanade
- Park Street
- Maidan
- Rabindra Sadan
- Netaji Bhawan
- Jatin Das Park
- Kalighat
- Rabindra Sarobar
- Mahanayak Uttam Kumar (Tollygunge)
- Netaji (Kudghat)
- Mastarda Surya Sen (Bansdroni)
- Gitanjali (Naktala)
- Kavi Nazrul (Garia Bazaar)
- Khudiram (Briji)
- Kavi Subhash (New Garia)
Interesting Facts about Kolkata Metro
- Kolkata Metro fare is the lowest in the country, if not the world.
- It was the first Metro Service in India, started on 24th October 1984.
- Once completed, the Howrah – Kolkata underwater metro tunnel will be the first of its kind in India.
- Certainly, new AC Coaches are equipped with LED lights and regenerative brakes for more power-efficient operation.
Future plans of Kolkata East-West Metro
Obviously, this huge Kolkata Metro expansion project is divided into many phases to ensure better and efficient scalability. Only phase 1A is functional as of now, while other phases are also making remarkable progress.
- Upcoming Phase 1B – Linking with Phool Bagan Metro Station (at the trial stage)
- Phase 2 – Link with Howrah Maidan via Sealdah, Esplanade, BBD Bag, Howrah.
- Phase 3 – Extending the east-west metro corridor with Teghoria from Sector V via Keshtopur, Dum Dum Park, Baguihati, and Raghunathpur.
Additionally, a few other lines of Kolkata Metro services are in the pipeline, like Joka to Esplanade, Dakhineswar to Airport, and Noapara to Barasat. Finally, all lines will be interconnected with each other for better accessibility.
Important Links
Conclusion
As I mentioned earlier, Metro Rail services within a city like Kolkata are really very convenient and eco-friendly. Hopefully, we will be getting the Howrah-Sealdah metro link soon.
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Good for daily commuters who struggles with road traffic. Also the facts about Kolkata metro are very interesting. And no doubt metro service is convenient and eco friendly for big cities like Kolkata.
Metro does makes it very convenient for daily commuters; being in Delhi I too used to travel to office via metro only and the major reason was in metro we never had to worry about the traffic on roads.