Kolkata Awaits Inauguration Of India's Largest Underground Metro Yard On August 22

Kolkata: India's first Metro network expanded its wings from Kolkata. It also became the pioneer in launching Asia's first underwater Metro services with the launch of the Green Line.

Now, the City of Joy awaits another historical feat on August 22, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Yellow Line's Jaihind Bimanbandar (Airport) Metro station — the largest underground metro yard in the country, as per Metro Railway. Along with this, the Sealdah-Esplanade on the Green Line stretch and the Beleghata-Hemanta Mukherjee section on the Orange Line will also be opened, which will cut down on travel times for commuters ahead of the Durga Puja, which has received the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage tag.

The station will have connetivity of Yellow and Green Lines. (ETV Bharat)

The Jaihind Bimanbandar station in the Kolkata International Airport area was planned about 14 years ago, with a huge fund allocation in the 2010-11 railway budget and a six-year target. Although the initial design of this station was supposed to be on the ground, later the Airport Authority of India (AAI) raised questions about safety. Hence, the work for the underground station started after a drastic change in the design. However, frequent land acquisition issues marred its progress, and the COVID-19-induced lockdown brought it to a standstill. Finally, Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL), the contractor, completed the work on the 6.77-km Noapara-Airport stretch this year.

The station, built over an area of ​​14,645 square metres, is located about 14 metres underground with five-track platforms, keeping in mind the number of passengers and connectivity to different parts of Kolkata. Two platforms are for the Yellow Line, and three are for the Orange Line. An underground metro yard of 48 metres has also been built at the station, the largest yard in India, the metro authorities have said.

The Jaihind Bimanbandar station is 14 metres underground. (ETV Bharat)

Only CRRC Dalian rakes will ply on this stretch. Currently, such rakes run on the North-South section or Blue Line. However, the old ICF Medha rakes will also be kept on an emergency basis. Special measures have been taken to ensure that the houses on both sides of the line experience minimal vibration and noise during operations.

The airport station was planned 14 years ago. (ETV Bharat)

Three new Metro stations — Dum Dum Cantonment, Jessore Road and Jaihind Airport Metro Station — have come up on the new stretch. The airport station will have three gates, six stairs, six lifts and nine escalators. Additionally, there will be four stairs, four elevators and six escalators near the airport-bound subway.

It has been four decades since the first Metro rake chugged in Kolkata. From 1972 to 2014, the metro network was 28 km, which was expanded to 31 km by 2025. The August 22 inauguration will add another 14 km, taking the total route to 73 km.

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