Kolkata Metro network will be a boost when Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Joka -Taratala stretch of the Metro network's Purple line today. The prime minister will also inaugurate several other railway projects in the state including redevelopment work at the New Jalpaiguri railway station and the Vande Bharat Express connecting Howrah and New Jalpaiguri.
There are six stations -- Joka, Thakurpukur, Sakherbazar, Behala Chowrasta, Behala Bazar and Taratala on the route. The Indian Railways has spent ₹2,477.25 crore for completing the 6.5 km stretch.
Trial runs on the 6.5 km stretch of Joka -Taratala stretch of Kolkata Metro are being held since mid-September and it received the mandatory Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) clearance in November.
Work is underway for the remaining part of the line, which will eventually connect Esplanade at the heart of the city to the southwestern suburbs.
When completed, at Esplanade, the Joka Line will meet the North-South corridor and the East-West Metro. The East-West corridor is partially operational between Sector V station and Sealdah. Currently, Metro train services in Kolkata are at present available on two routes -- the North-South Line between Dakshineswar and Kavi Subhas, and the East-West Line between Sealdah and Salt Lake Sector V.
The East-West Metro, connecting Salt Lake and Howrah is likely to start operations across its full length by August next year.
The East-West Metro has suffered a substantial delay in completion owing to three accidents during tunneling work at Bowbazar in central Kolkata over the last three years.
Out of the 16.6 km length of the East-West metro, the underground corridor constitutes 10.8 km between Howrah and Phoolbagan with the tunnel passing below the Hooghly river, while the rest is elevated.
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