Work on Kolkata Metro's crucial Chingrighata section to begin from May 15: Official

Work on the long-pending Chingrighata section of Kolkata Metros Orange Line is expected to begin from May 15, with officials hopeful that Metro and railway infrastructure projects in the city will gather momentum following the formation of the new BJP government in West Bengal after the assembly elections.

Work on the long-pending Chingrighata section of Kolkata Metro's Orange Line is expected to begin from May 15, with officials hopeful that Metro and railway infrastructure projects in the city will gather momentum following the formation of the new BJP government in West Bengal after the assembly elections. The Chingrighata stretch, a key bottleneck in the New Garia-Airport corridor, had remained stalled for a long time due to coordination issues between the Centre and the previous state government, along with traffic management concerns and pending litigation, officials said. A Metro official said work to connect the 366-metre stretch of tracks at Chingrighata will be carried out over two weekends -- from May 15 to 18 and again from May 22 to 24. The work will require traffic regulation along EM Bypass, one of the city's busiest arterial roads. Kolkata Police has now agreed to traffic control measures to facilitate the construction, the official said. ''After the elections, Kolkata Police agreed to regulate traffic during the designated weekends. Work at Chingrighata will now begin from May 15,'' the official said. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had earlier indicated that a lack of coordination with the previous state government was one of the major hurdles in the expansion of Metro projects in Kolkata. Chingrighata section forms a crucial part of the Orange Line connecting New Garia with Sector V Salt Lake and the airport. Officials said once this missing link is completed, operational connectivity on the corridor can progress rapidly. At present, services are operational on the Shahid Khudiram–Beleghata corridor, with Beleghata station located around 2 km from the Chingrighata crossing. Authorities are also hopeful about progress in other delayed Metro projects, including the Purple Line connecting Joka-Esplanade. Work near the BC Roy Market in Esplanade had remained stuck because some traders were unwilling to vacate the area. At present, the Purple Line is operational between Joka and Majerhat.