Kolkata Metro Line 1
Encyclopedia
Kolkata Metro
The Kolkata Metro or Calcutta Metro is a mass rapid transit system serving the city of Kolkata and the districts of South 24 Parganas and North 24 Parganas in Indian state of West Bengal. The network consists of one operational line and five lines currently under construction...
is a rapid transit
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
system serving Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
, South 24 Parganas and North 24 Parganas in Indian state of West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
. It consists of 23 metro stations from Dum Dum Metro Station
Dum Dum Metro Station
Dum Dum is a station of the of Kolkata Metro. The metro station adjoins the platforms of the railway station where connections can be made with Indian Railways services....
to Kavi Subhash Metro Station
Kavi Subhash Metro Station
The Kavi Subhash Metro Station, formerly New Garia Metro Station, is the southern terminal station of the North-South corridor of Kolkata Metro in Kolkata, India. It is named after poet Subhash Mukhopadhyay...
, of which 6 are elevated, 2 are surface and the remaining 15 are underground, with a total distance of 25.55 km. The line connects Dum Dum
Dum Dum
Dum Dum is a city and a municipality in North 24 Parganas district in the state of West Bengal, India. It is a neighbourhood in North-west Kolkata and the location of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport, formerly Dum Dum Airport.Dum Dum is a well known place in greater Kolkata...
and New Garia
New Garia
New Garia is a neighbourhood located in Garia, Kolkata, India. It is bounded by Eastern Metropolitan Bypass to the north, Patuli to the west, Garia Railway Station to the south and Chakgaria to the east.-Transport:...
and uses 5 feet 6 inch Broad Gauge
Indian gauge
Indian gauge is a track gauge commonly used in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Argentina and Chile. It is also the gauge that is used on BART , in northern California.- Scotland :...
rolling stock.
It was the first underground railway to be built in India, with the first operations commencing in October, 1984 and the full stretch that was initially planned being operational by February, 1995. On 28 December 2010, it became the 17th zone of the Indian Railways
Indian Railways
Indian Railways , abbreviated as IR , is a departmental undertaking of Government of India, which owns and operates most of India's rail transport. It is overseen by the Ministry of Railways of the Government of India....
. Being the country’s first, and a completely indigenous process, the construction of the Kolkata Metro was more of a trial-and-error affair, in contrast to the Delhi Metro, which has seen the involvement of numerous international consultants. As a result, it took nearly 23 years to completely construct a 17 km underground railway.
History
Before independence, there was a plan by the British to construct an underground railway in Kolkata. After independence, the burgeoning transport problem of Kolkata drew the attention of the city planners, the State Government and also the Government of IndiaGovernment of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
. It was soon realised that something had to be done and done quickly to cope with the situation. Bidhan Chandra Roy
Bidhan Chandra Roy
Bidhan Chandra Roy, M.R.C.P., F.R.C.S. was the second Chief Minister of West Bengal in India. He remained in his post for 14 years as a Indian National Congress candidate, from 1948 until his death in 1962. He was a highly respected physician and a renowned freedom fighter...
, at that time the Chief Minister
Chief Minister
A Chief Minister is the elected head of government of a sub-national state, provinces of Sri Lanka, Pakistan, notably a state of India, a territory of Australia or a British Overseas Territory that has attained self-government...
of West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
, conceived the idea in 1949 of building an underground railway for Kolkata to solve the problems to some extent. A survey was done by a team of French experts without any concrete results. Efforts to solve the problem by augmenting the existing fleet of public transport vehicles barely touched the fringe of the problem as the roads account for only 4.2% of the surface area in Calcutta, compared to 25% in Delhi and even 30% in other cities.
With a view to finding an alternative solution, the Metropolitan Transport Project (Rlys) (i.e., Railways) was set up in 1973. After detailed studies, the MTP (Rlys) came to the conclusion that there was no other alternative but to construct a Mass Rapid Transit System. The MTP (Rlys) had prepared a master plan
Master plan
A master plan has many meanings, it can refer to:Generally it may be used for serious plans or strategies, see:*Strategy**Strategic planning**Comprehensive planning**Blueprint...
in 1971 envisaging construction of five rapid-transit lines for the city of Kolkata, totalling a route length of 97.5 km. Of these, the highest priority was given to the busy north–south axis between Dum Dum and Mahanayak Uttam Kumar (Tollygunge) over a length of 16.45 km, and the work on this project was sanctioned on 1 June 1972. The foundation stone of the project was laid by Smt. Indira Gandhi
Indira Gandhi
Indira Priyadarshini Gandhara was an Indian politician who served as the third Prime Minister of India for three consecutive terms and a fourth term . She was assassinated by Sikh extremists...
, the then Prime Minister of India
Prime Minister of India
The Prime Minister of India , as addressed to in the Constitution of India — Prime Minister for the Union, is the chief of government, head of the Council of Ministers and the leader of the majority party in parliament...
, on 29 December 1972, and the construction work started in 1973.
Since the commencement of construction, the project had to contend with several problems, such as the unavailability of sufficient funds till 1977–78, relocation of underground utilities, court injunctions, an irregular supply of vital materials, and so on. The laying of the founding stone was done in 1972, but actual construction of line 1 started only in 1978. Line 1 is 17 km. long with 17 stations (see above). Running of the first metro car on the line by 1984 was considered a great engineering challenge.Former railways minister A. B. A. Ghani Khan Chowdhury took a massive effort to perform it. The first section opened between Esplanade & Bhowanipore
Bhowanipore
Bhowanipore or Bhabanipur is the oldest locality of South Kolkata. It is located just south of the Lower Circular Road . It is the second largest locality in South Kolkata after Ballygunge...
(Now called Netaji Bhawan). First day Metro Railway Kolkata were started by Sri Tapan Kumar Nath and Sri Sanjay Sil. There were no connections of this stretch with the two depots at Dum Dum & Tollygunge(Now called Mahanayak Uttam Kumar). So metro cars had to be put down on the track near Esplanade by crane, by directly digging the road surface. Initially, only four car trains were run until 1986. There were no magnetic gates or escalators at that time and ordinary revolving gates served as exits. The Metro too operated on only a single line. Two years later, line 1 extended up to Tollygunge, at the southern end. At the same time, the metro service was extended to the double line. Magnetic tickets and more entry gates were also introduced at that time. The number of compartments in each train was increased to eight.
Metro service was also started from Dum Dum, at the northern end, to Belgachhia in parallel with the extension of the line to the south. But this short portion was not popular and the service was closed down to be restarted when the entire stretch along the north–south corridor was completed.
After 1986, many political incidents hampered the construction, and work almost stopped for nearly six years. After restarting work, the Dum Dum to Shyambazar metro service was started in 1994. This portion was served by four car trains. Two months later, the Esplanade – Chandni Chowk section was opened, and Chandni Chowk – Central section opened three months later. The service from Dum Dum to Tollygunge started in 1995, with Mahatma Gandhi Road Station, being opened in 1996. During this time, more magnetic gates and escalators were added and the revolving gates were slowly phased out.
Timeline
- 24 October 1984: Esplanade – Bhowanipur (now Netaji Bhaban) (3.4 km)
- 12 November 1984: Dum Dum – Belgachhia (2.15 km)
- 29 April 1986: Bhowanipur (now Netaji Bhaban) – Tollygunge (now Mahanayak Uttam Kumar) (4.25 km)
- 13 August 1994: Dum Dum – Shyambazar (3.8 km)
- 2 October 1994: Esplanade – Chandni Chowk (0.7 km)
- 19 February 1995: Shyambazar – Girish Park (1.9 km) and Chandni Chowk – Central (0.6 km)
- 27 September 1995: Central – Girish Park (1.8 km)
- 22 August 2009: Tollygunge (Mahanayak Uttam Kumar) – Garia Bazar (now Kavi Nazrul), 5.85 km
- 7 October 2010: Garia Bazar (now Kavi Nazrul) – New Garia (now Kavi Subhash), 3 km
Technical Features
- Cut and cover method of construction using diaphragm walls and sheet piles.
- Use of extensive decking to keep the traffic flowing over the cut while construction is in progress underneath.
- Shield tunneling using compressed air and airlocks.
- Ballast less track using elastic fastenings, rubber pads, epoxy mortar and nylon inserts.
- Air-conditioning and ventilation system for environmental control of stations and tunnels.
- Third Rail current collection system for traction.
- Underground substations with dry type transformers and SF-6 circuit breakers.
- Tunnel-Train VHF-radio communication system.
- Micro-processor-based train control and supervisory remote control system for substations.
- Automatic ticket vending and checking system.
Salient features
| Total route length | 25 km (15.5 mi) |
| Stations | 23 (15 underground, 2 on surface and 6 elevated) |
| Gauge | 1676 mm (5 ft 6 in), Indian Broad Gauge |
| Cars per train | 8 |
| Train length | 162.4 m (8-car) |
| Maximum permissible speed | 55 km/h (34 mph) |
| Average speed | 30 km/h (19 mph) |
| Voltage | 750 V D.C. |
| Method of current collection | third rail |
| Travel Time: Dum Dum to Kavi subhash | 50 minutes (approx.) |
| Capacity (per car) | 326 passengers (278 standing, 48 sitting) |
| Capacity (per train) | 2590 passengers (approx.) |
| Headways | 6–8 minutes during peak hours & 10–15 minutes at other times |
| Total estimated cost of the project | (approx.) |
| Environment control | Forced ventilation with washed and cooled air in case of non AC rakes and air conditioning in case of AC rakes |
Method of construction
- Cut and cover method of construction using diaphragm walls and sheet piles.
- Use of extensive decking to keep the traffic flowing over the cut while construction in progress underneath.
- Shield tunneling using compressed air and airlocks.
- Ballast less track using elastic fastenings, rubber pads, epoxy mortar and nylon inserts.
- Air-conditioning and ventilation system for environmental control of stations and tunnels.
- Third Rail current collection system for traction.
Rolling Stock
The whole fleet is vestibuled. Carbodies and mechanical components were made by ICF ChennaiChennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
with electrical components made by NGEF, Bangalore
Bangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
. The fleet is unique in that it is the only railroad equipment in India with end-mounted cab doors (except for some of the WAG-6 series locomotives).
ICF has specifically designed, manufactured and supplied these cars for the Kolkata Metro Underground Railway System. The special features incorporated are:
- Traction power supply through third rail current collection system.
- Automatic door opening / closing and continuous monitoring of the transit.
- Automatic Train Stop (ATS) system which will automatically apply the brakes in case of human failure.
- Automatic train operation (ATO) with the driver acting as the train supervisor (optional).
- A public address system is provided on the trains to announce approaching stations. A central dispatcher can contact any of the train crew and also make important announcements directly to passengers over the system.
With all these features, the design and manufacturing process of these cars to a very high standard of reliability and safety has been a challenge. This was achieved without any technical collaboration. The entire fleet is capable of carrying 2356 passengers.
From October 2010, the process of phasing out of the current class of rolling stock was started and replaced by new air-conditioned cars five of which have been already pressed into service. Out of a total of 18 trainsets (non AC) owned by the Kolkata Metro, 11 are supposed to be retired within a few years and the remaining 7 will be rebuilt with new features including air conditioning, which is badly needed.
The five state of the art AC rakes have the following features :-
- Microprocessor controlled temperature and humidity control inside the trains.
- Fully automatic and digital operation of the train including emergency braking in the event of human failure or an emergency.
- LCD displays inside the motormen's cabins.
- Low external and internal noise level.
- Maximum speed of 80 km/h and Avge speed is 50 km/h.
- Multilingual Electronic LED sign boards both inside and outside the train.
- Public address system.
- Multi Reflector Head lamps.
- LED based tail lamps.
- Third rail system of current collection.
- Continuous monitoring of the transit.
The new air-conditioned rolling stock was manufactured by ICF
Integral Coach Factory
Started in 1952, the Integral Coach Factory is located in Chennai, India. Its primary products are rail coaches. Most of the coaches manufactured are supplied to the Indian Railways, but it has also manufactured coaches for railway companies in other countries, including Thailand, Burma, Taiwan,...
in collaboration with BHEL and Knorr Bremse, Germany.
Reservation for women
In 2008, the Kolkata Metro Railway experimented with the practice of reserving two entire compartments for women.This system was found to be ineffective and caused inconvenience for a lot of commuters(including women) and the plan was eventually dropped by the metro authority. But a certain section of seats in each of the 8 compartments is reserved for women.
Routes
The stations on the metro (south to north) are :- Kavi Subhash metro stationKavi Subhash Metro StationThe Kavi Subhash Metro Station, formerly New Garia Metro Station, is the southern terminal station of the North-South corridor of Kolkata Metro in Kolkata, India. It is named after poet Subhash Mukhopadhyay...
(Interchange with New Garia railway station for SealdahSealdahSealdah is one of the major train stations serving Kolkata in India, the others being Howrah Station, Shalimar Station and Kolkata Railway Station. Sealdah is one of the busiest rail stations in India and an important suburban rail terminal...
South section Suburban local trains; formerly: New GariaNew GariaNew Garia is a neighbourhood located in Garia, Kolkata, India. It is bounded by Eastern Metropolitan Bypass to the north, Patuli to the west, Garia Railway Station to the south and Chakgaria to the east.-Transport:...
) - Shahid KhudiramKhudiram BoseKhudiram Bose was a Bengali revolutionary, one of the youngest revolutionaries early in the Indian independence movement...
metro stationKhudiram Bose Metro StationShahid Khudiram Metro Station is a station of the of Kolkata Metro in Garia, a southern suburb of Kolkata, India. The station is named in honour of the Bengali revolutionary Khudiram Bose. The elevated structure is located above the drainage channel between Pranabananda Road and Garia Station Road...
(Formerly: Briji) - Kavi NazrulKazi Nazrul IslamKazi Nazrul Islam , sobriquet Bidrohi Kobi, was a Bengali poet, musician and revolutionary who pioneered poetic works espousing intense spiritual rebellion against fascism and oppression. His poetry and nationalist activism earned him the popular title of Bidrohi Kobi...
metro stationKavi Nazrul Metro StationKavi Nazrul Metro Station is a metro station at Garia, a part of the Kolkata Metro....
(Formerly: GariaGariaGaria is a posh neighbourhood in south Kolkata, India. It includes the localities of Naktala, New Garia, Chak Garia, Garia Park, Baghajatin, Baishnabghata-Patuli, Techno City, Model Town, Ganguly Bagan, Tentulberia, East Tentulberia, Ramgarh, Briji, Kamalgazi, Mahamayatala, Boral, Sreenagar,...
Bazar) - GitanjaliGitanjaliGitanjali is a collection of 103 English poems, largely translations, of the Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore.This volume became very famous in the West, and was widely translated....
metro station (Formerly: NaktalaNaktalaNaktala is a neighbourhood in South Kolkata, near Garia under the Kolkata Municipal Corporation in West Bengal, India. It is bounded by Ganguly Bagan to the north, Bansdroni to the west, Garia Crossing to the south and Baishnabghata to the east.- History :Previously forest, swampland and a...
) - Masterda Surya SenSurya SenSurya Sen was a prominent Bengali freedom fighter, an Indian independence activist and the chief architect of anti-British freedom movement in Chittagong, Bengal...
metro stationMasterda Surya Sen Metro StationMasterda Surya Sen is a station of the of Kolkata Metro....
(Formerly: BansdroniBansdroniBansdroni is an eminent locality in South Kolkata. It is connected to the city with the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Road linking Garia in the south and Tollygunge in the North...
) - Netaji metro station (Formerly: Kudghat)
- Mahanayak Uttam KumarUttam KumarUttam Kumar is one of the most famous names of Indian Bengali Cinema.Born Arun Kumar Chatterjee in 1926 at Ahiritola, North Calcutta he is widely known as Uttam Kumar and Mahanayak . He remains as much of a cultural icon as he had been in his lifetime...
metro stationMahanayak Uttam Kumar Metro StationMahanayak Uttam Kumar, formerly Tollygunge, is a station of the of Kolkata Metro. The station has been named for Uttam Kumar, one of the most famous names of Indian Bengali Cinema....
(Formerly: TollygungeTollygungeTollygunge is a locality of South Kolkata. It is flanked by the Eastern Railway south suburban line to the north, Lake Gardens and Golf Green in the east, the Pashchim & Purba Putiaries in the south, and Behala in the west.-History:...
) - Rabindra SarobarRabindra SarobarRabindra Sarobar is an artificial lake in south Kolkata in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is popularly referred to as the "Lungs of Calcutta"....
metro stationRabindra Sarobar Metro StationRabindra Sarobar is a station of the of Kolkata Metro. It is situated on Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Road at Charu Chandra Avenue. The station is named for Rabindra Sarobar, an artificial lake and the surrounding area of south Kolkata.... - KalighatKalighatKalighat is a locality of Kolkata, India. One of the oldest neighborhoods in South Kolkata, Kalighat is also densely populated and vibrant -- with a rich history of cultural intermingling with the various foreign incursions into the area over time....
metro station - Jatin Das Park metro station
- Netaji Bhavan (Formerly: BhowaniporeBhowaniporeBhowanipore or Bhabanipur is the oldest locality of South Kolkata. It is located just south of the Lower Circular Road . It is the second largest locality in South Kolkata after Ballygunge...
) - Rabindra SadanRabindra SadanRabindra Sadan is a cultural centre and theatre in Calcutta, located near the Nandan cinema and cultural complex and the Academy of Fine Arts on AJC Bose Road in South Kolkata. Construction began on 5 August 1961 and ended October 1967...
metro stationRabindra Sadan Metro StationRabindra Sadan is one of the busiest metro stations of the Kolkata Metro. It is named for the nearby Rabindra Sadan cultural centre and theatre. The station is located at the junction of Jawaharlal Nehru Road and Chowringhee Road, at the intersection with Circus Avenue.... - MaidanMaidan (Kolkata)The Maidan is the largest urban park in Kolkata in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is a vast stretch of field and home to numerous play grounds, including the famous cricketing venue Eden Gardens, several football stadia, and Kolkata Race Course. Maidan is dotted with several statues and...
metro stationMaidan Metro StationMaidan is a station of the of Kolkata Metro. The station is located on Jawaharlal Nehru Road at Middleton Street. It is named for the Maidan the largest urban park in Kolkata, which lies on the west side of Jawaharlal Nehru Road....
(Proposed name: Gostho Pal) - Park StreetPark StreetPark Street may refer to:* Park Street, Boston, Massachusetts, USA** Park Street , Boston, USA* Park Street, Hertfordshire, England** Park Street railway station in Hertfordshire* Park Street, Kolkata, India* Park Street, Bristol, England...
metro stationPark Street Metro StationPark Street is a station of the of Kolkata Metro.The station is located on Jawaharlal Nehru Road at Mother Teresa Sarani, previously called Park Street after which the station was named.... - Esplanade metro stationEsplanade Metro StationEsplanade is a station of the of Kolkata Metro. The station is located at the northern end of Jawaharlal Nehru Road in Kolkata....
- Chandni ChowkChandni ChowkChandni Chowk , originally meaning moonlit square or market, is one of the oldest and busiest markets in Old Delhi, now in central north Delhi, India...
metro station - CentralCentral (Kolkata Metro)Central is a station of the of the Kolkata Metro located in central Kolkata on Bipin Behari Ganguli Street, which will serve the Line 2 on the Metro in a few years and is being upgraded....
- Mahatma Gandhi RoadMahatma Gandhi Road, KolkataMahatma Gandhi Road, more commonly M.G. Road, is a principal East-West thoroughfare in north Kolkata , the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal.-Stretch:...
metro station - Girish Park metro station
- ShobhabazarShobhabazarShobhabazar is a neighbourhood in north Kolkata, earlier known as Calcutta, in the Indian state of West Bengal.-History:...
SutanutiSutanutiSutanuti was one of the three villages which were merged to form the city of Kolkata in India. The other two villages were Gobindapur and Kalikata. Job Charnock, an administrator with the British East India Company is traditionally credited with the honour of founding the city...
metro stationShobhabazar Sutanuti Metro StationShobhabazar Sutanuti is a station of the of Kolkata Metro. It is located near Shobhabazar.... - ShyambazarShyambazarShyambazar is a neighbourhood in north Kolkata, earlier known as Calcutta, in the Indian state of West Bengal. The area, under Shyampukur police station of Kolkata Police, has been, along with neighbouring Bagbazar, the citadel of the Bengali aristocracy, in a part of what was earlier known as...
metro station - Belgachhia metro station
- Dum DumDum DumDum Dum is a city and a municipality in North 24 Parganas district in the state of West Bengal, India. It is a neighbourhood in North-west Kolkata and the location of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport, formerly Dum Dum Airport.Dum Dum is a well known place in greater Kolkata...
metro stationDum Dum Metro StationDum Dum is a station of the of Kolkata Metro. The metro station adjoins the platforms of the railway station where connections can be made with Indian Railways services....
Alignment & Interchanges
Dum Dum station and all the stations from Shahid Khudiram (Briji) to Netaji (Kudghat) are elevated, Mahanayak Uttam KumarUttam Kumar
Uttam Kumar is one of the most famous names of Indian Bengali Cinema.Born Arun Kumar Chatterjee in 1926 at Ahiritola, North Calcutta he is widely known as Uttam Kumar and Mahanayak . He remains as much of a cultural icon as he had been in his lifetime...
(Tollygunge) station and Kavi Subhash (New Garia) are at ground level, while all the other stations are underground. Dum Dum, Park Street, Mahanayak Uttam Kumar
Uttam Kumar
Uttam Kumar is one of the most famous names of Indian Bengali Cinema.Born Arun Kumar Chatterjee in 1926 at Ahiritola, North Calcutta he is widely known as Uttam Kumar and Mahanayak . He remains as much of a cultural icon as he had been in his lifetime...
(Tollygunge), Netaji (Kundghat), Masterda Surya Sen
Surya Sen
Surya Sen was a prominent Bengali freedom fighter, an Indian independence activist and the chief architect of anti-British freedom movement in Chittagong, Bengal...
(Bansdroni), Geetanjali (Naktala), Kavi Nazrul (Garia Bazar), Shahid Khudiram (Briji) and Kavi Subhash (New Garia) have side platforms; all other stations have island platforms. Central, is an exception as it has both platforms on the sides as well as in the centre. Dum Dum, Kavi Subhash (New Garia), Rabindra Sarobar & Shobhabazar Sutanuti have connections to interchange with standard railway while Belgachhia, Shyambazar, Esplanade & Kalighat have connections to the tram network. Tram lines also serve Shobhabazar Sutanuti, Mahatma Gandhi Road, Central, Jatin Das Park, Rabindra Sarobar & Mahanayak Uttam Kumar
Uttam Kumar
Uttam Kumar is one of the most famous names of Indian Bengali Cinema.Born Arun Kumar Chatterjee in 1926 at Ahiritola, North Calcutta he is widely known as Uttam Kumar and Mahanayak . He remains as much of a cultural icon as he had been in his lifetime...
(Tollygunge) stations. Previously Park street & Maidan stations were also served by tram. The EM Bypass can be accessed from the Shahid Khudiram (Briji) metro station.
Extension upto Kavi Subhash Metro Station (New Garia)
Mamata Banerjee during her first tenure as the railway minister initiated the project of Tollygunj – Garia metro extension. During her second tenure (2009–present), she got the inaugurated the extension and also introduced new state-of-the-art Air Conditioned rakes, manufactured indegenously at the Integral Coach FactoryIntegral Coach Factory
Started in 1952, the Integral Coach Factory is located in Chennai, India. Its primary products are rail coaches. Most of the coaches manufactured are supplied to the Indian Railways, but it has also manufactured coaches for railway companies in other countries, including Thailand, Burma, Taiwan,...
, at Perambur near Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
.
The new extension to Garia Bazar in the south opened to public on 23 August 2009. The Garia Bazar station was named after Kavi Nazrul
Kazi Nazrul Islam
Kazi Nazrul Islam , sobriquet Bidrohi Kobi, was a Bengali poet, musician and revolutionary who pioneered poetic works espousing intense spiritual rebellion against fascism and oppression. His poetry and nationalist activism earned him the popular title of Bidrohi Kobi...
.
A final extension from Kavi Nazrul (Garia Bazar) to Kavi Subhash (New Garia) was inaugurated on 7 October 2010, bringing the total number of stations to 23. On the same day two Air-Conditioned rakes were also pressed into service.
Fare Structure
The Metro fare is distance-based. Fare structure on Metro Railway was last revised with effect from 01.10.2001 after a gap of 3 years. The present fare structure is as below:| ZONE | DISTANCE (km) | FARE |
|---|---|---|
| I | up to 5 | 4.00 |
| II | 5–10 | 6.00 |
| III | 10–15 | 8.00 |
| IV | 15–20 | 10.00 |
| V | 20 and above | 12.00 |
Tickets
- Daily Tickets
- Single trip tickets (1 person)
- Double-trip tickets (1 person)
- Single-trip tickets (2 to 7 people)
- Double-trip tickets (2 to 7 people)
- Daily Tickets (Day Passes)
- Multi Ride Tickets
- Minimum Multi Ride (MMR) – Valid for 21 days (12 trips available by paying fare for 11 trips)
- Limited Multi Ride (LMR) – Valid for 30 days (40 trips available by paying fare for 30 trips)
- Extended Multi Ride (EMR) – Valid for 90 days (80 trips available by paying fare for 55 trips)
The above tickets are issued for all three zones.
Smart Cards
In 2005, Metro Kolkata introduced the Smart Card-based ticketing system for daily users. This was started to reduce the cost of magnetic tickets as well as the number in circulation. Therefore there is a discount offered as compared to the price of the normal magnetic tickets.
There is a plan to replace the old paper ticket (with magnetic tape) system with a token system
The ticketing system had been upgraded to token system on 1st june 2011 by a spanish company.
The previous ticketing system has been scrapped and tokens are being used in its placed since July 2011
The ticketing system in the kolkata metro railway has changed from the old magnetic paper tickets to round plastic tokens.The system requires touch-free gates that function through radio-frequency identification rather than the old magnetic-strip reader.The Centre for Railway Information Systems, which has implemented the Rs 41.5 crore project, gave the contract to a Spanish firm last year after a global bidding process.The authorities have also decided to make use of the tokens time-bound. A passenger needs to enter the platform within 30 minutes of buying a token and complete the journey within 90 minutes.In the new system, all passengers will need to have a token each, unlike in the previous system where up to six people could travel on a single paper ticket.Not more than one person can travel on a single token.Technologically there is no scope of issuing return tokens.A single passenger can buy up to only seven tokens.While entering the platform, the gate will open once the token is brought close to the sensor. While coming out of the platform, a passenger will need to drop the token into a slot to open the gate.
Extension of Line 1
The plan to extend Line 1 in the north from Dumdum to Dakshineswar (5.2 km) is under execution. The construction of this stretch started in February 2010. It will be met by the metro line from BarrackporeBarrackpore
Barrackpore or Barrackpur is headquarters of Barrackpore subdivision in North 24 Parganas district in the Indian state of West Bengal. The town was a military and administrative center under British rule, and was the scene of several acts of rebellion against Britain during the 19th century...
at Baranagar (12.5 km).
The stations on this stretch will be –
- Dumdum
- Ma Sarada DeviSarada DeviSarada Devi , born Saradamani Mukhopadhyaya , was the wife and spiritual counterpart of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, a nineteenth century mystic of Bengal. Sarada Devi is also reverentially addressed as the Holy Mother by the followers of the Ramakrishna monastic order...
(Noapara) - Swami VivekanandaSwami VivekanandaSwami Vivekananda , born Narendranath Dutta , was the chief disciple of the 19th century mystic Ramakrishna Paramahansa and the founder of the Ramakrishna Math and the Ramakrishna Mission...
(Baranagar) - DakshineswarDakshineswarDakshineswar is a town in Barrackpore subdivision of North 24 Parganas district in West Bengal.-History:In 1847, Rani Rashmoni of Bengal began the construction of the famous Dakshineswar Kali Temple. Rani, who was a rich and pious widow of colonial Bengal had a divine revelation ordering her to...
See also
- Kolkata MetroKolkata MetroThe Kolkata Metro or Calcutta Metro is a mass rapid transit system serving the city of Kolkata and the districts of South 24 Parganas and North 24 Parganas in Indian state of West Bengal. The network consists of one operational line and five lines currently under construction...
- List of Kolkata metro stations
- Kolkata Metro Rolling Stock
- List of rapid transit systems
- Kolkata tramCalcutta Tramways CompanyThe Calcutta Tramways Company Limited is a West Bengal, India government-run company which runs trams in Kolkata and buses in and around Kolkata...
- Kolkata LightrailKolkata LRTSKolkata Light Rail Transit System is again a mass rapid rransit system proposed for the city of Kolkata in India. The West Bengal government and SREI Infrastructure Finance signed a memorandum of understanding to set up the light rail transit system...
- Kolkata MonorailKolkata MonorailKolkata Monorail is a rail-based transit project planned for the Indian city of Kolkata. It is the First awarded Monorail project in India before Mumbai. The Kolkata-based Andromeda Technologies has received the order for building a monorail public transport system.- Phase I :Corridor 1: Budge...
- Kolkata Suburban RailwayKolkata Suburban RailwayThe Kolkata Suburban Railway is the rail system for the suburbs surrounding the city of Kolkata . Railways such as this are important and heavily-used infrastructure in India....