Kolkata Metro Orange Line nears airport link with 24 stations

Kolkata is on the cusp of a major mobility upgrade as the long-delayed Metro Orange Line, connecting New Garia to the international airport, edges closer to commissioning. The 30 km corridor with 24 stations is expected to carry over five lakh passengers daily, transforming north-south travel while easing traffic congestion across the city.Approved in 2010 and executed by the Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd, the ₹3,951.98 crore project has been designed to balance efficiency with heritage.

Stations are named after iconic Bengali figures while offering state-of-the-art infrastructure. A short 5.4 km stretch between Kavi Subhash and Hemanta Mukhopadhyay has already opened to commuters, marking the first visible milestone of the project.Officials confirm that trial runs on the New Garia–Ruby stretch began late last year, with trains achieving speeds up to 90 kmph. Safety checks including emergency braking, track integrity and staff preparedness have been completed, with the section deemed ready for commercial service. Initially, a single rake may operate to ensure smooth scaling up of operations.The Orange Line’s most significant promise lies in connectivity. Linking the city’s international airport with IT hubs in Salt Lake and residential pockets in New Town, the route offers a faster and greener alternative to congested roads. Transport experts believe this will substantially cut carbon emissions by shifting thousands of daily commuters away from private vehicles and cabs.

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To encourage seamless mobility, the Metro authority plans to roll out a common smart card and token system across all city metro lines for the first time. This will allow passengers to switch between corridors without buying separate tickets, creating a unified ecosystem of urban transport. The integration of the Orange Line with existing Yellow and other lines is also expected to reduce bottlenecks across the growing network.Construction is progressing in phases, with the extension towards Salt Lake Sector V targeted for completion by the end of 2025. Engineers say the staged approach minimises traffic disruptions and ensures faster delivery of key stretches. While elevated structures dominate most of the line, the airport station is being built underground to streamline passenger flow with the terminal.

Kolkata, the first Indian city to introduce metro services in 1984, is once again pushing boundaries in sustainable urban transit. Experts underline that the Orange Line is not just a transport project but a model for equitable, gender-neutral and eco-friendly mobility. By making workplaces, residential zones and the airport more accessible, the corridor aims to deliver a cleaner, faster and more inclusive commute for lakhs of citizens.