Kolkata metro is one of a kind that holds a strong Indian history. It has thirty-one stations and two operational lines that hold a major urban populations’ transport service interest. Currently, the Kolkata metro has its functions in the capital only, but soon the government is planning to float the service in the suburbs as well.
In 1972, the first operational line of the Kolkata metro was started with a 3.40 km route from Esplanade and Netaji Bhavan. The construction got its completion in October 1984. Since then, the Kolkata Metro has had its name registered as the first-ever metro service of India.
Table of contents
- History of Kolkata Metro Rail Construction
- Key Dates of Kolkata Metro Rail History
- Active Kolkata Metro Station Lists
- In-Progress Kolkata Metro Station Names
- The On-hold & Proposed Kolkata Metro Stations Names
- Reserved Seat of Kolkata Metro Railway
- Kolkata Metro Recharge Card
- Kolkata Metro Fare Chart
- End Thoughts
- FAQ’s
Latest News: Kolkata Metro Station
The innovative East-West Metro, which started service in stages in March 2020, has seven terminals now, along with the new Sealdah station. Commercial operations will begin on July 15 this year at the affluent Sealdah metro station, which links to Sector 5’s IT centre from Phoolbagan.
It is a portion of the East-West Route that, in some locations, runs beneath the Hooghly River. In addition to increasing foot traffic, the new terminal will provide more flexibility for residents living on the outskirts. In addition to increasing foot traffic, the new terminal will provide more flexibility for residents living on the outskirts.
Due to the Sealdah implications, durations for the East-West Metro are expected to be revised beginning Thursday. The current operating hours are from 8 A.M. to 8 P.M. Now, a new timetable is being formed that will enable the first train from Sealdah to exit at 6:55 A.M. and allow the first train to leave from Sector V at 7 A.M.
History of Kolkata Metro Rail Construction
The most interesting fact of India’s first metro was that it had an indigenous mechanism. It had a cut-and-cover process with a tunnel shield. First of all, it had a trial-and-error system. Whereas after the establishment of metro lines in Delhi had a multinational consultant involved in the project. The Kolkata Metro was built approximately twenty-three years and started its functioning then.
Gradually with the success of the first-ever line, the metro had its more sections in even longer routes between 1984 to 1995. Around 2000, even the operational line one also got expanded. The route was increased by 10.94km and reached its destination to New Garia Kolkata metro station. In 2009, the railway line from One got extended to Line Two from the Salt Lake Sector V to Howrah Maidan Station. Till then, the project was under the Ministry of Urban Development, but later, the central government announced it under the Ministry of Railway.
The Kolkata Metro Line 2 construction was started in 2009 from East-West from Sector V to Howrah Maidan Kolkata Metro Station. Kolkata metro’s start date was on 13th February 2020, and the second section is expected to open in 2023. Till this time, additional lines have been planned in the railway budget 2010-11 to connect the Kolkata metro with other routes as well. The announced Kolkata metro station names are Joka, Barrackpore, Dakshineshwar, Barsat, and the NSCBI Airport AKA Biman Bandar from New Garia.
Key Dates of Kolkata Metro Rail History
| Line 1 | 24 Oct 1984 | Esplanade to Netaji Bhawan | 3.40 km |
| Line 1 | 12 Nov 1984 | Dum Dum to Belgachia | 2.15 km |
| Line 1 | 29 Apr 1986 | Netaji Bhawan to Tollygunge | 4.24 km |
| Line 1 | 13 Aug 1994 | Belgachia to Shyambazar | 1.63 km |
| Line 1 | 02 Oct 1994 | Esplanade to Chandni Chowk | 0.71 km |
| Line 1 | 19 Feb 1995 | Shyambazar to Girish Park | 1.92 km |
| Line 1 | 19 Feb 1995 | Chandni Chowk to Central | 0.60 km |
| Line 1 | 27 Sep 1995 | Central to Girish Park | 1.80 km |
| Line 1 | 22 Aug 2009 | Tollygunge to Garia Bazar | 5.85 km |
| Line 1 | 07 Oct 2010 | Garia Bazar to New Garia | 3.00 km |
| Line 1 | 10 Jul 2013 | Dum Dum to Noapara | 2.09 km |
| Line 2 | 13 Feb 2020 | Sector V to Salt Lake Stadium | 5.3 km |
| Line 2 | 05 Oct 2020 | Salt Lake Stadium to Phoolbagan | 1.7 km |
| Line 1 | 21 Feb 2021 | Noapara to Dakshineswar | 4.11 km |
Active Kolkata Metro Station Lists
The Line-1 coverage from Dakshineswar to New Garia
The Kolkata Metro Line-1, also known as the North-South corridor, has coverage of 31.1 km with 26 stations. This includes fifteen stations as undergrounds and nine as elevated. It is the first underground railway with an underground design that started in October 1984. After the first profitable construction, the railway had seen more expansion in February 1995. The oldest line, i.e., Line 1 had its first section operational from Mahanayk Uttam Kumar to Kavi Nazrul in 2009, followed by the second section operation from Kavi Nazrul to Kavu Subhash in 2010.
| Length: | 32.25 km |
| Type: | At-Grade, Elevated & Underground |
| Total Stoppage | 26 Stations |
| Station Names: | Noapara, Dum Dum, Belgachia, Dakshineswar, Baranagar, Shyambazar, Shobabazar, MG Road, Shobhabazar Sutanuti, Girish Park, Central, Chandni Chowk, Netaji Bhavan, Esplanade, Park Street, Maidan, Rabindra Sadan, Jatin Das Park, Kalighat, Rabindra Sarobar, Mahanayak Uttam Kumar, Netaji, Masteda Surya Sen, Gitanjali, Kavi Nazrul, Shahid Khudiram, New Garia |
The Line-2 First Section coverage from Sector V to Phoolbagan
The Kolkata Metro Line-2, also known as, East-West Corridor connects Howrah to Hooghly River with an underground route. Interestingly, the length of the route was actually planned at 14.67 km segregating which was 8.9 km for underground and 5.77 km for elevated. But in the light of the project is installed and amended several times, the length got extended and finalised at 16.55km. During the construction of the East tunnel, the TBM hit an aquifer near Bowbazar Station in September 2019. This had given a drawback to the Line-2 project which got delayed by a few months. Afterwards, the project was completed, and the first section of Line-2 was started in 2013. The second phase of operation is planned to be open from 2023.
| Length: | 7 km |
| Type: | Elevated and Underground |
| Total Stoppage | 7 Stations |
| Station Names: | Phoolbagan, Bengal Chemical, Salt Lake Stadium, City Center, Karunamoyee, Central Park, Salt Lake Sector V |
In-Progress Kolkata Metro Station Names
The Line-2 Second Section coverage from Howrah Maidan to Phoolbagan
| Length: | 9.34 km |
| Type: | Underground |
| Total Stoppage: | 5 Stations |
| Station Names: | Howrah Maidan, New Mahakaran, Sealdah, Esplanade, Howrah |
The Line-3 coverage from Joka to Mominpur
Earlier, the plan of building Line 3 was to establish connectivity from Thakurpukur to Majerhat which was also supposed to be Majerhat Dakshineswar interchange for Sealdah. Then, the plan got changed with a new metro route from South in Joka to BBD Bagh with a length of 17.22 km. Further, with a lot more changes in plan, the route had been decided to commence to run across all the major arterial roads of Kolkata. This covers Diamond Harbour Road, Khidirpur Road, Jawaharlal Nehru Road, and more. The best part of Line 3 would be its route that would serve Line 2 along with the routes that would encourage convenience in interchanges and connectivity.
| Length: | 10.246 km |
| Type: | Elevated |
| Total Stoppage: | 8 Stations |
| Station Names: | Joka, Sakherbazar, Thakurpukur, Behala Chowrasta, Taratala, Behala Bazar, Majerhat and Mominpur |
The On-hold & Proposed Kolkata Metro Stations Names
The Line 4 coverage from NSCBI Airport to Barasat
The Line 4 of the Kolkata Metro Route is decided to be integrated with the Circular Railway from Dum Dum to Biman Bandar into a 6.249 km new metro route. An eastward expansion from the Airport to Barasat over 10.627 km was sanctioned by the budget in 2010-11 itself. Currently, the project is under Metro Railway, Kolkata (State Government). Although major work has been done regarding the project, due to restructuring and discussions the plan has seen a hike in the budget which is now figured at US$730 million.
| Length: | 11.26 km |
| Type: | Underground and Elevated |
| Total Stoppage: | 6 Stations |
| Station Names: | Michael Nagar, Birati, New Barrackpore, Hridaypur, Madhyamgram, and Barasat |
The Line 5 coverage from Baranagar to Barrackpore
Yet in progress, the Baranagar-Barrackpore Kolkata Metro Route 5 of Kolkata Metro has a budget of Rs. 2,069.6 crores in the 2010-11 railway budget. This is a plan that would be executed soon to create a passage from the northern suburbs to South Kolkata. The project is under the banner of RVNL. As per reports, there is no construction executed till the time as the line may impact the Barrackpore trunk Road. For this reason, a new proposal was planned for its implementation through the route of the Kalyani Expressway. Line 5 is supposed to hold eleven Kolkata metro stations under its line.
| Length: | 12.50 km |
| Type: | At-grade & elevated |
| Total Stoppage: | 11 Stations |
| Station Names: | Baranagar, Kamarhati, Sodepur, Agarpara, Subhash Nagar, Panihati, Khardaha, Tata Gate, Titagarh, Talpukur, Barrackpore |
The Line 6 coverage from Kavi Subhas to Biman Bandar
A line would be connecting New Garia and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport via EM Bypass, Salt Lake, and Rajarhat to New Town. The basic idea behind the route planned is to dismiss the time consumption between the southern sections and the airport. The project has a deadline of six years for its completion inaugurated in 2011 by the Former Railway Minister Mamta Banerjee. The project has a budget of Rs. 4,259.50 crores, having 24 Kolkata metro stations with the underground route till terminal Biman Bandar station. The project will be undertaken by Rail Vikas Nigam Limited. The Kolkata Metro Line 6 will have exciting attributes like a stable yard with India’s largest underground facilities.
The most convenient interchanges will be as follows:
| For Line 1 | At Kavi Subhas |
| For Line 2 | At Salt Lake Sector V |
| For Line 2 (alternative) | At Teghoria/ VIP Road |
Reserved Seat of Kolkata Metro Railway
In Kolkata Metro, the rule is like Delhi or Mumbai metro. There is a set of seats that are segregated under several umbrellas such as two seats for physically challenged, two is for senior citizens. And the last two seats are allotted for women in the middle of the compartment.
Earlier to this, the Kolkata Metro Railway used to reserve two complete compartments for women in 2008. However, the idea of encouraging women’s comfort and convenience was not met. Eventually, the plan was suspended and reformed which is still being practised.
Kolkata Metro Recharge Card
Kolkata Metro Railway has a smart card service that is rechargeable and has long-term validation. This has replaced the usage of Kolkata metro tokens. The Kolkata Metro Recharge Card is also simple and can be done by metro recharge counters or through the mobile application. The smart card was issued by the CRIS which was of four types: Minimum Multi Ride (MMR), Limited Multi Ride (LMR), General Multi Ride (GMR), and the Extended Multi Ride (EMR). But since 2013, the introduction of the General Smart Card (GSC) has dismissed every other recharge card to synchronize the system.
There is also the availability of Tourist Smart Cards of two types: Tourist Smart Card I & II. The tourists who come to Kolkata can avail of the service through this card with refundable security money of Rs. 60. Previously, Kolkata Metro RFID Token was the only way through which the passengers used to travel.
Kolkata Metro Fare Chart
| Distance | Fares |
| Upto 5 km | Rs. 5 |
| Upto 5-10km | Rs. 10 |
| Upto 10-15km | Rs. 15 |
| Upto 15-20km | Rs. 15 |
| Upto 20-25km | Rs. 20 |
| Upto 25-30km | Rs. 25 |
About Kolkata Underwater Metro
Recently, the brewing service of India’s first underwater metro railway has garnered huge attention. The ongoing project of the Kolkata underwater metro is supposed to be completed by the year 2023. It is a 520 metres railway line that will connect the east and west corridors of the city within a 16.6 km lane. The most-waited project is being monitored by the Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation (KMRC). The plan is implemented by building a 33 m tunnel to specifically link Kolkata with Howrah. This is exactly underneath the Hooghly River’s bed. However, the line is currently functioning for Sector V to Sealdah Station route.
The railway tunnel of the Kolkata metro will possess a 1.4 m width of hydrophilic gaskets along with concrete rings to operate inside water. Interestingly, the project is claimed to work in utmost 10-storey depth, providing hustle-free and time-effective travelling to the people. Considering security concerns, the whole execution for passengers is done by creating walkways inside the river for evacuation in case of any urgency. As per the reports, Kolkata underwater metro will bring a great advantage to commuters from North to Esplanade in the South too.
End Thoughts
Kolkata metro station has made its name among the most modified railway systems also. You will always find something modern but relevant with the histo\ry of the Kolkata metro trains and the facilities that incorporate and reflect the British decades when it was first built. If you are living in Kolkata, you will agree to this statement. But if you are outside the city, Kolkata metro stations would be something you must not miss to travel for once in your lifetime.
For more details, you may go to Kolkata metro station website: https://mtp.indianrailways.gov.in/
Don’t Miss Out
FAQ’s
How to Check Kolkata Metro Card Balance?
- The Passengers can check their Kolkata Metro Smart Card balance through the Add Value Machine (AVM) located near the entry & exit passage.
- Other than this, they may either use their mobile application to learn the recharge card balance by using their card number.
What is Kolkata Metro timing on Sunday?
The Kolkata Metro timing starts from 10:00 am to 10:00 pm every day. That means the passengers can avail the service in whichever they need.
When the Kolkata Metro Railway Started?
The Kolkata Metro is the first metro line in India that commenced its service on 24th October 1984. The metro establishment started in 1972 and it is still in progress with additional routes in the pipeline.
How to Apply for a Kolkata Metro Recharge Card?
he Kolkata Metro Recharge Card is easily available at any of the Kolkata metro stations. You may purchase them at different affordable prices starting from Rs 100 to Rs 1000. In this, Rs. 50 is for the card and the rest is the recharge you can use to travel in the metro.
When will the East-West Kolkata Metro be Completed?
As per the media report, the East-West Kolkata Metro is to be completed by June 2022.
How to recharge Kolkata Metro Smart Card Online?
You can conveniently recharge your metro recharge card through its card number on any digital payment sites like Paytm, Google Pay, Phone Pe, etc. After your successful recharge is done, you need to activate your score in the AVM in the Kolkata metro station. And you are ready to GO!
Is there any metro in Kolkata?
The Kolkata Metro Rail is the historical metro of India where Line 1 and Line 2 are operational. Whereas Line 3 is under construction and Line 4, 5, and 6 are on hold or proposed.
