Kolkata: With just a day left for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to inaugurate three new Metro stretches in Kolkata on Friday, the spotlight is on the possible fare chart that has surfaced ahead of the launch. According to indications, ticket prices may range between Rs 5 and Rs 70 depending on the distance travelled.
From the Jai Hind Bimanbandar (Airport) station, passengers may pay Rs 5 to Jessore Road, Rs 20 to Noapara, Rs 40 to Chandni Chowk or Esplanade, Rs 45 to Kavi Subhash, Rs 50 to Howrah, and Rs 65 to Hemanta Mukhopadhyay (Ruby). The maximum fare of Rs 70 is expected for travel between the Airport and Sector V or Karunamoyee.
Friday’s inauguration will mark the commissioning of nearly 14 km of fresh tracks, the single-largest expansion of Kolkata Metro in one go. The highlight is the 2.45-km Sealdah–Esplanade stretch of the East–West (Green Line) corridor, built at a cost of ₹1,185 crore. It will stitch together the currently disjointed corridor, enabling seamless travel from Howrah Maidan to Sector V. The link is set to slash travel time between Howrah and Sealdah—Eastern Railways’ busiest suburban terminals—from nearly an hour by road to just 11 minutes.
The other two corridors include the 6.77-km Noapara–Airport line, the first phase of the Yellow Line costing Rs 1,866 crore, with four stations, including the underground terminal at Jai Hind. This stretch is expected to ease travel for residents of Baranagar, Dum Dum, Nagerbazar and Kaikhali.
The third, a 4.39-km Ruby–Beleghata extension of the Orange Line built for Rs 875 crore, will add four stations and strengthen east–south connectivity, linking New Garia to
the suburban network.
Commercial services on the Noapara–Airport and Ruby–Beleghata stretches are expected to begin from August 25, while trains on the full East–West corridor will run every eight minutes during peak hours.