Phase-I of East-West Metro to be made operational by 2018, says Babul

Union Minister of State for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises Babul Supriyo on Monday said the first phase of the East West Metro, from Salt Lake's Sector-V to Phool Bagan, is likely to be operational by 2018. The minister said: "I am really hopeful that the first phase will be operational by June, 2018. The trains will start running by that time as the work is going on at a fast pace."

The Kolkata Metro Railway Corporation Limited (KMRCL) is a Central government enterprise which is implementing the East West Metro Corridor. It has recently ordered 84 air-conditioned coaches from BEML Limited, a Bangaluru-based Public Sector Utility and the first rake is expected to arrive in December, this year. "All problems in phase-1 of the project have been solved now and the execution is in full swing. The entire 5.74 km elevated bridge is completed except the 365 metre of the Duttabad stretch. Boby da (state Urban Development minister) and Sujit da (Bidhannagar MLA) helped me to solve the problems.

The rehabilitation of the affected families is going on in a newly-made building," Babul added. The minister also said that a Cabinet note has been made seeking exemption from the embargo on construction within 100 metre of the heritage buildings. There are three such buildings – the Beth El synagogue, the Maghen David synagogue, and the Currency Building situated there. It may be mentioned that the Metro tunnel boring machine (TBM) will have to stop after coming out of the Hooghly River on the Kolkata side till the Centre amends an Act for the laying of tracks near the three heritage buildings. The two TBMs that have dug 30 metres under the Hooghly from the Howrah side are scheduled to reach Calcutta by end of June. The operators of the machine, who came from Johannesburg, will have to stop rolling it on Strand Road about 100 m from the river till the ASI gives its nod.

The rehabilitation of the affected families is going on in a newly-made building," Babul added. The minister also said that a Cabinet note has been made seeking exemption from the embargo on construction within 100 metre of the heritage buildings. There are three such buildings – the Beth El synagogue, the Maghen David synagogue, and the Currency Building situated there. It may be mentioned that the Metro tunnel boring machine (TBM) will have to stop after coming out of the Hooghly River on the Kolkata side till the Centre amends an Act for the laying of tracks near the three heritage buildings.

The two TBMs that have dug 30 metres under the Hooghly from the Howrah side are scheduled to reach Calcutta by end of June. The operators of the machine, who came from Johannesburg, will have to stop rolling it on Strand Road about 100 m from the river till the ASI gives its nod.