• Three stations at two levels

• Underground bus and taxi pick-up and drop points

• A tunnel connecting the Eden Gardens with Esplanade

Calcutta: The state government has come up with a plan to turn Esplanade into the biggest Metro Railway hub in Calcutta and clean up the heart of the city.

As part of the plan, awaiting chief minister Mamata Banerjee's nod, the existing Kavi Subhash-Noapara Metro line will have an interface with the East-West and Joka-Esplanade routes.

The state government had hired RITES, a subsidiary of the railways, to draw up the integration plan.

The Esplanade station of Joka-BBD Bag Metro will be built adjacent to the station of the existing north-south line, at the second level, at 11.73m under the surface.

The station for East West Metro, under Rani Rashmoni Avenue, will be barely 40m from the existing station. The East-West station will be built at the third level, at 26.32m below the surface.

There will be three more levels of concourses with ticket counters and commercial stalls, according to the plan.

A pick-up and drop area for buses and taxis will be built on the first level under the surface. "The depth of the first level is yet to be decided," an official said.

Sources said the plan was drawn up with a projected daily passenger footfall of seven-eight lakh on an average by 2035. Railway officials said the actual figure could be much more.

Now, the Esplanade station records a footfall of 50,000.

The busiest Metro station now is Dum Dum, which has an interface with multiple suburban train routes in the Sealdah (Main) and Sealdah (North) divisions.

Officials said around 80,000 passengers used Dum Dum Metro station daily on an average. Esplanade and Rabindra Sadan come second.

"Once the three Metros converge, Esplanade will become the busiest hub. So, it needs more than an integrated station. It needs plans for passenger dispersal, movement of buses and taxis as well as connectivity with other modes of transport," an official said.

On the surface, the government wants to create green stretches, space for open-air exhibitions, water bodies and sports and recreation centres.

"We plan to decongest Esplanade. The buses and taxis will not be allowed to park on the roads to pick up or drop passengers. For them, a dedicated area will be created on the first level of the station complex," the official said.

The plan also includes a tunnel that will link the station complex with the Eden Gardens.

After a cricket match or any other major event at the stadium, visitors on their way to any of the Metro stations at Esplanade will not have to walk through the roads.

"They can take the tunnel. That way we will be able to prevent snarls, which are now routine in the heart of the city after a cricket match at Eden," the official said. A similar tunnel could be built from the high court area, too,

The East-West station is likely to be operational by December 2020. There is some uncertainty over the Joka-BBD Bag station.