**Executive Summary**
The document is a response to a parliamentary question regarding overcrowding and staffing in the Kolkata Metro, set to be answered on December 3, 2025. It outlines the progress of metro construction, ridership, and recruitment efforts by Indian Railways, and acknowledges current challenges in expanding infrastructure due to land acquisition and utility shifting issues, specifically pertaining to state authorities. The recruitment information references various roles filled through Centralized Employment Notifications (CENs), with the majority of the candidates finalizing into safety categories.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Kolkata Metro Expansion:**
* From 1972 to 2014, 28 km of metro was commissioned.
* From 2014 to 2025, 45 km of metro was commissioned.
* 52 km of metro corridors are currently under construction.
* 20 km of the under-construction corridors are held up due to land acquisition and utility shifting issues with the State Government.
* **Corridor Status (as of Dec 3, 2025):**
* **Joka ā Esplanade (14 km):** Progress affected by slow land acquisition and utility diversion issues.
* **New Garia-Dum Dum Airport (32 km):** Work progress is slow due to delay in traffic diversion permission from State authorities; 9.8 km of the corridor has been completed. NOC from Kolkata police for temporary road traffic diversion at Chingrighata junction for launching of viaduct is pending since February 2025.
* **Noapara ā Barasat (18 km):** Work from Jai Hind Airport to Michael Nagar is in progress. Work from New Barrackpore to Barasat (7.5 Km) is held up due to land acquisition and encroachment issues by State authorities.
* **Baranagar ā Barrackpore (12.5 km):** Work is held up due to pending utility (water pipeline) shifting by State authorities.
* **Kolkata Metro Ridership and Rakes:**
* There has been a steady increase in ridership post-COVID.
* Passenger numbers increased from 16.89 crore in 2022-23 to 20.81 crore in 2024-25.
* The number of rakes deployed has increased from 44 in 2022-23 to 55 at present.
* Fleet of Metro rakes is increased based on increase in network and traffic requirements which is a continuous and ongoing process.
* **Railway Recruitment:**
* Recruitment is an ongoing process to fill vacancies.
* 1,20,579 vacancies are under recruitment as per the annual calendar for 2024 and 2025.
* Computer Based Tests (CBTs) completed for 59,678 posts including ALP, Technicians, RPF and others.
* Seven new Centralized Employment Notifications (CENs) for 28,463 vacancies have been issued as per the 2025 annual calendar.
**Impact Analysis**
**Indian Railways (Ministry of Railways)**
* **Impact:** Required to address overcrowding and staffing shortages in Kolkata Metro and managing expansion projects.
* **Action Required:** Continue ongoing recruitment and expansion projects, resolve land acquisition and utility shifting issues with the State Government.
**Potential Employees / Job Seekers**
* **Impact:** Directly affected by the recruitment process, availability of jobs, and changes to eligibility criteria.
* **Action Required:** Stay informed about upcoming recruitment notifications and prepare for examinations.
**Kolkata Metro Passengers**
* **Impact:** Affected by overcrowding and the pace of metro expansion.
* **Action Required:** Be aware of potential delays due to ongoing construction.
**State Government (of West Bengal)**
* **Impact:** Responsible for facilitating land acquisition and utility shifting for metro expansion projects.
* **Action Required:** Address and resolve the pending land acquisition and utility shifting issues to facilitate the timely completion of metro projects.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Railways: The primary ministry responsible for the subject matter, which is the Kolkata Metro system.
Kolkata Metro: The metro system in Kolkata which is the main subject of the document concerning overcrowding and expansion.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 649
TO BE ANSWERED ON 03.12.2025
OVERCROWDING IN KOLKATA METRO
649. SHRI SHATRUGHAN PRASAD SINHA:
Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:
(a) whether it is a fact that there has been a steady increase in cases of
overcrowding in Kolkata Metro and if so, the details thereof;
(b) whether the Government intends to increase the fleet of metros in
Kolkata and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
(c) whether it is a fact that Kolkata Metro is understaffed and if so, the
details thereof; and
(d) whether the Government intends to employ more people in Kolkata
Metro and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reason therefor?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, INFORMATION & BROADCASTING AND
ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)
(a) to (d): Metro project in Kolkata started in 1972. The details of the Metro
commissioned since then are as under:
Period Metro Commissioned
1972 to 2014 (42 years) 28 km
2014 to 2025 (11 years) 45 km
Presently, four metro corridors of total 52 km are under construction
in and around Kolkata out of which 20 Km is held up due to landacquisition and utility shifting issues pertaining to State Government. The
status of these corridors is as given below:
Name of Corridor Work Balance Status
& Length (km) Completed Length
(km) (km)
Joka ā Esplanade 7.74 km 6.26 km Progress of Work was
(14 km) (Joka- (Majerhat - affected due to slow
Majerhat) Esplanade) land acquisition and
utility diversion
issues by state
authorities.
New Garia-Dum 9.8 km 22.2 km Work progress is slow
Dum Airport (32 (Belaghata- due to delay in traffic
(New Garia-
km) Dum Dum diversion permission
Belaghata)
Airport) from state
authorities.
Noapara ā 6.77 km 11.36 km Work from Jai Hind
Barasat (18 km) (Noapara- Jai (Jai Hind Airport to Michael
Hind Airport) Airport - Nagar is in progress.
Barasat) Work from New
Barrackpore to
Barasat (7.5 Km) is
held up due to land
acquisition and
encroachment issues
by State authorities.
Baranagar- Work is held up due to pending utility (water
Barrackpore pipeline of Kolkata Municipal Corporation) shifting
(12.5 km) in the alignment by state government authorities.Regarding, New Garia-Dum Dum Airport project (32 km), New Garia-
Belaghata (9.8 km) has been completed. The balance work from
Belaghata-Dum Dum Airport(22.2 km) has been taken up. However, NOC
from Kolkata police is required for temporary road traffic diversion at
Chingrighata junction for launching of viaduct which is pending (since
Feb, 2025) inspite of repeated chasing with State Government. The
matter is still unresolved.
Regarding ridership Kolkata metro, after COVID, there has been a
steady increase in the number of passengers travelling on Kolkata Metro
from 16.89 cr passengers in 2022-23 to 20.81 cr passenger in 2024-25.To
match the growing demand, the rakes deployed in Kolkata Metro have
also been increased from 44 in 2022-23 to 55 at present.
Fleet of Metro rakes is increased based on increase in network and
traffic requirements which is a continuous and ongoing process.
Recruitment in Indian Railways
Occurrence and filling up of vacancies are continuous processes in
Indian Railways considering its size, spatial distribution and criticality of
operation. Adequate and suitable manpower is provided to cater to the
regular operations, changes in technology, mechanisations and
innovative practices including Kolkata Metro. The vacancies are filled up
primarily by placement of indents by Railways with Recruitment agencies
as per operational and technological requirements.
As per annual calendar 2024 and 2025, recruitment of 1,20,579
vacancies has been taken up on Indian Railways including Kolkata metro.
During January to December 2024, ten Centralized Employment
Notifications (CENs) for 92,116 vacancies were notified for filling up of
posts of Assistant Loco Pilots (ALPs), Technicians, Sub-Inspectors,
Constables in Railway Protection Force (RPF), Junior Engineers (JEs)/
Depot Material Superintendent (DMS)/ Chemical & Metallurgical Assistant
(CMA), Paramedical Categories, Non-Technical Popular Categories
(Graduate), Non-Technical Popular Categories (Under-Graduate),
Ministerial & Isolated Categories and Level-1 categories such as
Assistants, Track Maintainers and Pointsman.First stage/Single stage Computer Based Tests (CBTs) for 59,678
posts has been completed. Details are as under-
Exam Candidates Cities Languages
1st Stage CBT for the post of ALP 18,40,347 156 15
(18,799 vacancies)
CBT for the post of Technician 26,99,892 139 15
(14,298 vacancies)
1st Stage CBT for the post of 11,01,266 146 15
JE/DMS/CMA (7,951 vacancies)
CBT for the post of RPF-SI 15,35,635 143 15
(452 vacancies)
CBT for the post of RPF-Constable 45,30,288 147 15
(4208 vacancies)
CBT for Paramedical Categories 7,08,321 143 15
(1,376 vacancies)
1st Stage CBT for Non-Technical 58,41,774 141 15
Popular Category (Graduate)
(8,113 vacancies)
1st Stage CBT for Non-Technical 63,27,473 157 15
Popular Category (Under Graduate)
(3,445 vacancies)
CBT for Ministerial & Isolated 4,46,013 139 15
categories (1,036 vacancies)2nd stage CBTs for the posts of ALP, JE/DMS/CMA and Non-
Technical Popular Categories (Graduate) has also been completed.
Details are as under: -
Exam Candidates Cities Languages
2nd Stage CBT for the post of ALP 2,66,363 112 15
(18,799 vacancies)
2nd Stage CBT for the post of 1,17,339 118 15
JE/DMS/CMA (7,951 vacancies)
2nd Stage CBT for Non-Technical 1,21,931 129 15
Popular Category (Graduate)
(8,113 vacancies)
Computer Based Aptitude Test (CBAT) for the post of ALP has also
been completed. Details are as under:-
Exam Candidates Cities Languages
CBAT for the post of ALP 1,32,044 84 2
(18,799 vacancies)
CBT for 32,438 vacancies for level -1 categories has commenced
from 27.11.2025 in 140 cities in 15 languages. Physical efficiency Test
(PET) for 4,208 vacancies of Constable (RPF) has commenced from
13.11.2025.
Panels for more than 23,000 candidates for various posts including
the posts of Technicians, Junior Engineers, Paramedical Categories, Sub-
Inspectors (RPF) and Assistant Loco Pilots have been finalised. Majority
of them are in safety categories.In addition, as per Annual Calendar for the year 2025, seven
Centralized Employment Notifications (CENs) for 28,463 vacancies have
also been issued:
SN CEN Post Name No. of Vacancies Month of
No. notified Notification
1 01/2025 Assistant Loco 9,970 March 2025
Pilots
2 02/2025 Technicians 6,238 June 2025
3 03/2025 Para-medical 434 July 2025
4 04/2025 Section Controllers 368 August 2025
5 05/2025 Junior Engineers / 2,585 October 2025
Depot Material
Superintendent
6 06/2025 NTPC (Graduate) 5,810 October 2025
7 07/2025 NTPC (Under- 3,058 October 2025
Graduate)
The RRB examinations are quite technical in nature entailing large
scale mobilization of men and resources and training of manpower.
Railway overcame all these challenges and successfully conducted the
recruitment in a transparent manner following all laid down guidelines.
No instance of paper leakage or similar malpractice has occurred during
the entire process.
Recruitment done in Indian Railways during 2004-2005 to 2013-2014
vis-Ć -vis during 2014-2015 to 2024-2025 is given as under:-
Period Recruitments
2004-2005 to 2013-2014 4.11 lakhs
2014-2015 to 2024-2025 5.08 lakhsFurther, as a system improvement, the Ministry of Railways has
introduced a system of publishing annual calendar from 2024 for
recruitment to various categories of Group āCā posts. The introduction of
annual calendar is benefitting the aspirants in the following manner:-
ā¢ More opportunities for candidates;
ā¢ Opportunities to those becoming eligible every year;
ā¢ Certainty of exams;
ā¢ Faster Recruitment process, Training and Appointments.
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