Digital lockers, reclining chairs among new commuter facilities at Kolkata Metro Rly stns

Kolkata: Work on the New Garia-Airport Metro corridor (Orange Line) continues to face delays, with a crucial 366-metre viaduct gap at Chingrighata on EM Bypass remaining incomplete for over three-and-a-half months. Metro Railway general manager (GM) P Uday Kumar Reddy on Friday admitted that authorities are “really struggling hard” to complete the stretch.

The viaduct gap lies between Beleghata and Gour Kishore (Chingrighata) stations. Bridging it requires a traffic block, which has yet to be approved by Kolkata Police. Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL), the implementing agency for the 32-km corridor, had requested a two-phase night-time traffic block, from 10 pm to 7 am for three nights in each phase, but approval is still pending. “We are really struggling hard to get Chingrighata done,” said Reddy, emphasising the urgency of resolving the impasse. “It is for the people of Kolkata. Whether the train runs there or not, Metro has no issue. But the people of Kolkata will benefit once this part is completed.”

While Chingrighata remains a bottleneck, other Metro projects are progressing. The final 2.63-km stretch of the East-West corridor between Sealdah and Esplanade is nearly ready, with the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) already granting clearance. “The Sealdah connection is largely ready. We are completing finishing touches and addressing CRS observations related to safety,” GM said.

Progress is also being made on the Yellow Line’s Noapara-Jai Hind (Airport) section. “We’ve requested the CRS to inspect it by the end of the month. Once that’s done, we will be ready,” Reddy said.

Meanwhile, Metro authorities are working to resolve the impasse over the Kidderpore station of the Purple Line, which is facing land acquisition issues.

“There is a problem related to Kidderpore. We are trying to solve it and are in regular contact with the state government. We sincerely hope the people of Kidderpore will be helped out by the government,” he added. Efforts are also underway to improve passenger amenities across major stations. As part of that, on Friday, GM Reddy inaugurated digital locker services at Howrah Metro station, allowing commuters to securely store

luggage of various sizes for up to 12 hours at affordable rates. Similar facilities will soon be introduced at Dakshineswar, Sealdah, Park Street, Mahanayak Uttam Kumar (Tollygunge) and Esplanade stations.

Additionally, a relaxation chair service has been introduced at Esplanade Metro station (Blue Line), aimed at offering tired commuters a brief respite at an affordable cost. A similar service will soon be launched at Dakshineswar Metro station.

“Soon Sealdah and Esplanade are connected and with daily ridership on the Blue Line projected to rise from 7 lakh to 10-12 lakh, we are committed to upgrading services and amenities across the network. All these initiatives are aimed at improving the passenger experience,” GM concluded.