Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to inaugurate three new stretches of Kolkata Metro on August 22, promising better connectivity, more trains and a smoother commute for several Kolkatans.
With the additions, Kolkata Metro’s daily passenger capacity will go up by 9.15 lakh, powered by 366 new services.
The expansion brings three new corridors — the 2.45km Esplanade to Sealdah link on the Green Line, the 6.77km Noapara to Jai Hind Airport stretch on the Yellow Line, and the 4.4km Hemanta Mukhopadhyay to Beleghata section on the Orange Line.
The Green Line extension, connecting Esplanade and Sealdah, is expected to be a game-changer. What takes 40 to 45 minutes by road between Howrah and Sealdah will now be covered in just 11 minutes by metro trains. This line will offer at least 186 services daily.
For flyers and airport staff, the Yellow Line, Noapara to Jai Hind Airport stretch, will cut the travel time from Esplanade to the airport terminal down to 30 minutes from over one-and-a-half hour by road. With three new stations — Dum Dum Cantonment, Jessore Road and Jai Hind Bimanbandar — the corridor will run 120 services daily.
The Orange Line extension from Hemanta Mukhopadhyay (Ruby) to Beleghata will connect Science City, several schools, hospitals and busy commercial hubs. Passenger traffic here is expected to double, with 60 services ensuring faster rides between South and East Kolkata.
The new stretches also come with upgraded facilities — escalators, elevators, wider sitting areas, toilets, divyang-friendly features and state-of-the-art passenger information systems. While the Yellow Line’s Jessore Road station has been built on the surface, Jai Hind Bimanbandar is fully underground.
With these launches, Kolkata Metro is not just adding new lines — it is delivering a faster, smarter and more reliable way to move around the city. For lakhs of daily commuters, this August 22 inauguration marks the start of a new chapter in Kolkata’s journey with the oldest metro service in India.