The newly opened East-West corridor of the Kolkata Metro has transformed commuting for office-goers and weekenders alike, offering seamless travel across the city and neighboring Howrah. Following its full inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, August 22, the 16.6-km corridor saw enthusiastic crowds on Saturday, with commuters marveling at the speed and convenience of the metro connecting key hubs like Sector 5, the city’s IT and office hub, to Howrah Maidan.
The first Sector 5-bound metro departed Howrah Maidan at 6:30 AM, while the train from Sector 5 started at 6:32 AM, marking the corridor’s first full day of operations. On Saturday, 186 services (93 each on Up and Down lines) ran at eight-minute intervals, a significant leap from the 40 trains operated on the inaugural day. Previously, services were fragmented between Howrah Maidan-Esplanade and Sealdah-Sector 5 due to land subsidence issues at Bowbazar. The now-complete corridor, featuring both underground and elevated stretches, has resolved these challenges, offering a smooth 35-minute journey across the city.
Anuj Agarwal, a businessman from Howrah’s Salkia, shared his excitement after traveling with his family on the first train. “It’s incredible to travel under the Hooghly River and through the greenery of Subhas Sarobar and Central Park. This journey, which takes two hours by bus or over an hour by car during peak times, cost us just Rs 70 each,” he said. The metro’s efficiency is a game-changer for daily commuters and families exploring the city.
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The East-West corridor enhances connectivity to major railway stations, office districts, and the airport, integrating with the North-South corridor to create a robust metro network. On Sunday, 104 services (52 each on Up and Down lines) will operate at 15-minute intervals, with the first trains departing at 9:00 AM from Howrah Maidan and 9:02 AM from Sector 5. The last services are scheduled for 9:45 PM and 9:47 PM, respectively.
Modi also inaugurated three additional metro projects and a subway at Howrah railway station, with services on the Yellow Line (Noapara to Jai Hind Bimanbandar) and Orange Line (Kavi Subhash to Beleghata) set to begin on August 25. These weekday services will further expand Kolkata’s metro connectivity, benefiting lakhs of commuters. As the city embraces its upgraded metro system, the East-West corridor stands as a testament to India’s commitment to modernizing urban transport and enhancing the quality of life for its citizens.
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