Kolkata Metro Gets New Routes To Airport, Sealdah & IT Hubs. Check Details Of 3 New Lines
Kolkata Metro is expanding with three new corridors linking the airport, Sealdah, and IT hubs. This would ensure faster travel, 366 new services, and modern stations set to transform the city commute.
For the first time in its 41-year history, Kolkata’s metro network will link the airport, IT hubs, and key suburbs directly with the heart of the city. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate three new metro routes in Kolkata on Friday. From the same evening, passengers will be able to travel on the Howrah Maidan-Salt Lake Sector V stretch of the East-West Metro.
However, services on the Kavi Subhash-Beleghata and Noapara-Jai Hind Airport routes will begin a few days later. The Metro Rail authorities issued a statement on Thursday night confirming the schedule.
Before the inauguration, PM Modi said on Thursday: "The city for whose development we are resolute, coming to the people of Kolkata is always a joy for me. The events in Kolkata tomorrow are primarily related to transportation. The metro services on the Noapara-Jai Hind Airport, Sealdah-Esplanade, and Beliaghata-Hemanta Mukhopadhyay routes will be inaugurated. This will make commuting to the airport and the IT hub more convenient."
The 3 New Metro Lines at a Glance
Green Line Extension: Sealdah to Esplanade (2.45 km)
This extension creates the first direct underground metro link between Sealdah and Howrah, the two busiest train stations in the city. At present, the road journey between these points can take nearly 50 minutes, but the metro will cut that to just 11 minutes. With lakhs of daily train passengers using Sealdah and Howrah, the new line will make interchanging far easier and also ease pressure on Kolkata’s traffic-heavy central roads.
According to the notification, operations on the Green Line (Howrah Maidan-Salt Lake Sector V) will start from 6 pm on Friday. From Saturday, trains on this route will run daily between 6:30 am and 10:19 pm.
Yellow Line: Noapara to Jai Hind Airport (6.77 km)
For the first time, the metro will run directly to the Kolkata airport. The Yellow Line includes stations at Dum Dum Cantonment, Jessore Road, and Jai Hind Bimanbandar. Commuters travelling from Esplanade to the airport will now be able to make the journey in just half an hour. This route is expected to be a major relief for flyers, airline staff, and airport workers, offering them a predictable, congestion-free alternative to the city’s jammed roadways.
Orange Line: Ruby (Hemanta Mukhopadhyay) to Beleghata (Metropolis) – 4.4 km
The Orange Line strengthens connectivity between the city’s eastern and southern zones. Running through areas like Science City, it directly links schools, colleges, hospitals, and business hubs along the EM Bypass. For office-goers, students, and hospital visitors, this new corridor promises faster and more convenient travel across one of the busiest stretches of Kolkata.
The Orange Line (Kavi Subhash-Beleghata) will open from Monday, August 25, with trains operating between 8 am and 8:28 pm. On the same day, services on the Yellow Line (Noapara-Jai Hind Airport) will also begin, running from 7:58 am to 8:10 pm.
What This Means for Kolkata
Together, the three new corridors mark a turning point in Kolkata’s transport network. For the first time, the metro will seamlessly connect the airport, the city’s biggest railway stations, and key commercial areas. This not only makes everyday travel faster and cleaner but also gives residents a predictable option in a city where traffic delays are the norm.
The expansion will add 366 new train services every day, raising daily passenger capacity to nearly 9.15 lakh. Commuters will also be able to use a single smart card across all routes, even when switching lines. The stations have been designed with modern facilities such as escalators, elevators, toilets, accessibility features for disabled passengers, and real-time information screens to track train movement.
Metro officials said 186 services will operate daily on the East-West Metro between Sector V and Howrah Maidan, including Sundays. The Noapara-Airport corridor will see 120 services a day, while the New Garia (Kavi Subhash)-Beleghata route will have 60 services.
The Beleghata route will provide easier access to several hospitals along the EM Bypass. However, due to the suspension of services on the North-South corridor up to Kavi Subhash station, the daily passenger count on the Ruby-New Garia stretch has dropped to around 1,500.
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