Goyal inaugurates Phase-I of East West Metro Corridor of Kolkata Metro

Speed Post News Network

New Delhi : Railways and Commerce & Industry Minister Piyush Goyalon February 13, 2020, inaugurated Phase I of East West Metro corridor of Kolkata Metro connecting Salt Lake Sector V and Salt Lake Stadium and dedicated various other Railway projects to the Nation at a function in Kolkata.

Speaking on the occasion, Goyal said that the entire East-West corridor up to Howrah Maidan will be completed by December 2021 and expressed the hope that Kolkata Metro will become the preferred mode of transport for the people of the city. Babul Supriyo, Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and other dignitaries along with senior Railway officials were present on the occasion.

At present, Metro services are run in Kolkata on only on North South corridor from Noapara to Kavi Subhas stations over covering 27.3 km. This corridor was inaugurated 36 years ago in 1984.

Goyal also dedicated to the Nation 140 km of railway electrification project in Katwa-Azimganj and Monigram-Nalhati sections of Howrah and Malda Divisions. The commissioning of 140 km new railway electrification project at a cost of Rs 219 crores (approx.) covering Katwa-Azimganj and Monigram-Nalhati sections will help ensuring seamless electric train operations on different routes of Eastern Railway and reducing diesel fuel consumption substantially as 83% route kilometres of Eastern Railway have now been electrified.

In keeping with the vision of PM Narendra Modi and in order to promote Indian Railways as an environmentally sustainable transport system, harnessing green and clean solar energy and thus minimising carbon footprint is a mission area of Railways. Goyal dedicated to the Nation 3 MW rooftop solar power plant at Howrah station which has been installed without incurring any capital expenditure by Railways, according to a PIB release. It will supply electricity @ Rs 3.62 per unit for 25 years as against the present rate of Rs 8.50 per unit. The total cumulative revenue saving will be Rs 40 crores (approx.) over the next 25 years.

Goyal dedicated to the Nation 41.13 Km of double/third line over Howrah, Malda & Sealdah Divisions. Eastern Railway has commissioned double line in Nimtita-Dhulianganga (11.38 km), Sujnipara-Nimtita (6.72 km) of Malda Division, Mile 5B-New Alipore (1.67 km) of Sealdah Division, Lalbagh Court Road-Khagraghat Road (7.40 km) and Debipur-Rasulpur 3^rd line (13.96 km) of Howrah Division at a cost of approx. Rs 550 crore.

East – West Metro is a 16.5 km long stretch which connects Howrah on the West bank of River Hooghly with Salt Lake city on the East bank. The project is being executed by Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation Limited (KMRCL) and 10.8 km of the stretch is underground and 5.75 km will be on elevated viaduct.