Parliament Question: Progress of Kolkata Metro Yellow Line

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3042 TO BE ANSWERED ON 11.03.2026 PROGRESS OF KOLKATA METRO YELLOW LINE

3042. DR. KAKOLI GHOSH DASTIDAR:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

(a) the detailed project/progress report of the metro line connecting Noapara-Jai Hind Airport- Barasat;

(b) whether any feasibility study has been done on the same and if so, the details thereof; and

(c) the details of the projected timeline for the completion of the said project? ANSWER MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, INFORMATION & BROADCASTING AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

(a) to (c): 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

The details of Metro Corridors commissioned are as under:

S.No. Metro Corridor Section Commissioned Kavi Subash – Noapara (28 Km) This Corridor commissioned 1 (Blue Line) before year 2014 (This required about 42 years to complete) §Noapara – Dakshineswar (4.14 This Corridor commissioned in 2 Km) (Extension of Blue Line) 2020-21 Noapara – Jaihind Airport - Noapara – Jaihind Airport section 3 Barasat (18 Km) (Yellow Line) (6.77 Km) Commissioned in 2025-26 Joka – Majerhat - Esplanade (14 Joka – Majerhat section (7.74 Km) 4 KM) (Purple Line) Commissioned in stages from 2022 to 2024 New Garia - Belaghata - New Garia – Belaghata (9.8 Km) 5 Dumdum Airport (32 Km) Commissioned in stages between (Orange Line) 2023-26 Howrah Maidan – Salt Lake Sec. This Corridor commissioned in 6 V (16.55 Km) (Green Line) stages from 2019 to 2025 Further, work pertaining to 4 Metro corridors at total length of about 52 km is under progress, out of which 20 km of work is held up due to land acquisition and utility shifting issues pertaining to State Government. In the rest of the Metro stretch, though the work is in progress yet facing difficulties due to one or other reasons at the end of State Government.

Details are as below:

(i) Noapara – Jaihind Airport - Barasat (18 km): Noapara - Jai Hind Airport (6.77 km) has been commissioned and work from Jai Hind Airport to Michael Nagar is in progress. However, work from New Barrackpore to Barasat (7.5 km) is held up due to land acquisition and encroachment issues by State authorities.

SN Location Issues

1. New  Land acquisition (23,000 sq. m) and removal Barrackpore to of heavy encroachments (1277 hutments, Barasat 764 shops) are involved in this section. The matter is not yet resolved by Government of West Bengal (GoWB).

(ii) Joka –Majerhat - Esplanade (14 km):- Joka - Majerhat (7.74 km) has been commissioned and balance work from Majerhat to Esplanade (6.26 km) has been taken up. However, progress of the work is

affected due to the following issues:

SN Location Issues

1. Khidderpur  For utility shifting and road traffic diversion, 837 Metro sqm permanent and 1,702 sqm temporary land Station of State Government (Kolkata Armed Police) is required. The proposal of this land was sent to State Government on 24.08.2020.

 Several meetings were held with officials of Government of West Bengal (GoWB) for transfer of above land.  After lot of persuasion, State Government finally accorded approval in July 2025 only after almost 5 years.

2. Dr. B.C. Roy  For construction of Esplanade Metro Station, Market temporary shifting of unauthorised 528 Shops at B.C. Roy Market on Defence land is required.  The proposal for NOC of temporary/permanent shifting of these shops was submitted to State Government in February 2022. Shops for temporary shifting of these unauthorized shops have also been constructed by Railway.SN Location Issues  The State Government has been requested to facilitate shifting. Regular follow up with State PWD is also being done.

 Issue is pending for more than 3.5 years.

(iii) New Garia –Belaghata - Dum Dum Airport (32 km): New Garia - Belaghata (9.8 km) has been commissioned and balance work from Belaghata to Dum Dum Airport (22.2 km) has been taken up. However,

progress of the work is affected due to the following issues:

SN Location Issues

1. Chingrighata  Temporary traffic diversion at Chingrighata Crossing crossing for launching of viaduct segments is (Between required for 3 nights each on either side of the Beleghata – road (8 hours on every night).

Gour Kishore  The proposal was submitted to Government of Ghosh stations) West Bengal (GoWB) in December 2024.  The diversion road as desired by Kolkata traffic police has already been constructed in February 2025.

 Since then, several meetings have been held with various State Government and Kolkata police officials for NOC.  The NOC is still awaited even after about 12 months.

(iv) Baranagar - Barrackpore - Dakshineshwar (14.5 km): Baranagar - Dakshineshwar (2 km) has been commissioned and balance work fromBaranagar to Barrackpore (12.5 km) is held up due to pending utility shifting in the alignment by state government authorities. The details

are as below:

SN Location Issues

1. Baranagar  The original alignment along the B.T road was to agreed in 2011 as per MoU among Metro Barrackpore Railway, RVNL and Kolkata Municipal Corporation.  As per MoU, existing pipeline was to be replaced by new 64-inch diameter pipeline by the State Government.

 Shifting of this pipeline was completed in 2012.  However, NOC is still awaited from Government of West Bengal.

Completion of Railway project/s depends on various factors which include

the following:  Land acquisition by State Government  Forest clearance  Shifting of infringing utilities  Statutory clearances from various authorities  Geological and topographical conditions of area  Law and order situation in the area of project site  Number of working months in a year for particular project site etc.

All these factors affect the completion time of the project/s. *****