PM Modi Flags Off New Kolkata Metro Routes: Faster Airport Access, IT Hub Link & Travel Time Cut to Just 11 Minutes

In a major boost to West Bengal’s urban transport and regional connectivity, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurates three new metro routes in Kolkata, adding 13.61 kilometres of track to the city’s expanding network. At the same event, he also lays the foundation stone for the 7.2-kilometre six-lane elevated Kona Expressway, a project worth more than Rs 1,200 crore that promises to reshape road travel between Howrah and Kolkata.

New metro routes

The metro inauguration includes the Noapara–Jai Hind Bimanbandar, Sealdah–Esplanade, and Beleghata–Hemanta Mukhopadhyay stretches. Together, they are expected to ease traffic congestion, improve last-mile connectivity, and shorten commute times for lakhs of daily passengers.

Direct Airport Connectivity and reduced travel time

Prime Minister Modi personally visits Jessore Road Metro Station, where he flags off the Noapara–Jai Hind Bimanbandar service that finally connects the city’s airport directly by metro—an upgrade that commuters have awaited for decades. He also takes a short ride on the stretch, underscoring the project’s importance in bridging one of the city’s critical travel gaps.

Through video conferencing, the Prime Minister inaugurates two more sections: the Sealdah–Esplanade route, which reduces travel time between the two busy hubs from nearly 40 minutes to just 11, and the Beleghata–Hemanta Mukhopadhyay corridor, designed to improve access to Kolkata’s growing IT and business districts. A newly built subway at Howrah Metro Station is also unveiled, improving integration between existing routes and easing passenger flow at one of the country’s busiest rail junctions.

Also Read: PM Modi’s Big Infrastructure Push in Bihar and Bengal: To Inaugurate Rs 18,000 Crore Projects, Launch Metro, Roads and Flag Off New Trains | Republic World

Metro Services

Metro authorities confirm that full services on the East-West corridor between Sector V and Howrah Maidan, covering 12 stations, commence from Friday evening with a run time of about 32 minutes. Operations on the new Yellow and Orange lines are set to begin from Monday, although they will remain closed on weekends for now—an announcement that has sparked criticism from commuters.

The central government claims that to support the expansion, feeder services are being restructured, with auto-rickshaw and bus routes being realigned to run perpendicular to metro lines rather than parallel, in a bid to decongest key transit points such as Sealdah and Salt Lake.

Kona Expressway: Faster Road Connectivity

Beyond the metro, the Prime Minister lays the foundation for the elevated Kona Expressway, which will significantly cut travel time between Howrah and central Kolkata. The stretch is part of NH-12 and already handles more than 70,000 vehicles daily. Once completed, the six-lane upgrade is expected to ease bottlenecks, enhance freight movement to and from Kolkata’s port, and provide a faster route for travellers from surrounding rural areas.

Infrastructure Push in West Bengal

The government affirms that the back-to-back transport initiatives reflect a broader infrastructure push in the state. Over the past year, projects worth more than Rs 5,000 crore have been sanctioned for West Bengal’s metro expansion, while the Kona Expressway is seen as a strategic link to the industrial belts and trade corridors feeding into Kolkata.