Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday will inaugurate three new metro lines in Kolkata, a major development set to transform the city’s transport landscape. With Durga Puja approaching, the metro’s expanded reach is expected to make celebrations more accessible and stress-free for residents.
The new services, offering fares starting at Rs 5 and capped at Rs 70, are aimed at providing a more affordable and efficient way to travel in a city long known for its traffic congestion. The fare structure is distance-based, with slabs across the different corridors.
For the East-West Metro (Green Line), which now connects Howrah Maidan to Salt Lake Sector V, travel up to 2 km costs Rs 5, while the end-to-end journey is Rs 70. The Yellow Line, connecting the airport, charges Rs 5 for the shortest distance (Airport to Jessore Road). A ride from the Airport to Noapara costs Rs 20, while a longer journey to Esplanade or Chandni Chowk is Rs 40. The fare from the Airport to Howrah is Rs 50, and to Kavi Subhash, Rs 45. On the Orange Line, fares from Hemanta Mukhopadhyay (Ruby Crossing) to various stations on the Blue and Green Lines are integrated, with the fare to Howrah Maidan being Rs 50. The fare from the Airport to Hemanta Mukhopadhyay is Rs 65.
Green Line (Esplanade–Sealdah)
The final 2.6 km stretch of the East-West Metro corridor now fully connects Howrah Maidan to Salt Lake Sector V. This line, featuring India’s first underwater metro tunnel, will drastically reduce travel time between Howrah and Sealdah. The journey from Howrah to Sector V, which earlier cost a minimum of Rs 500 by cab, will now be possible for Rs 70.
Yellow Line (Noapara–Jai Hind Bimanbandar)
The 7 km section is the first phase of a direct metro link to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport. It connects the airport to Noapara, a key interchange with the Blue Line. A journey from Airport to Noapara will cost Rs 20, to Esplanade Rs 40, and to Kavi Subhash Rs 45.
Orange Line (Hemanta Mukhopadhyay–Beleghata)
The 4.4 km extension connects Hemanta Mukhopadhyay (Ruby Crossing) to Beleghata, serving important locations like Science City and nearby hospitals. The fare from Airport to Hemanta Mukhopadhyay is Rs 65.
The inauguration marks a significant leap in Kolkata’s metro expansion. In the three decades since 1984, when India’s first metro was established in the city, only 27.99 km of track was built. In contrast, over 45 km of new lines have been added in the last 10 years — a 161% increase.
The expanded network is expected to ease traffic congestion, boost economic growth, and improve daily commutes for millions of passengers.