The long-awaited East-West Metro is finally set to begin operations, with the 2.5-km Esplanade-Sealdah stretch ready for inauguration. The section, completed in late April, has been awaiting passenger services since then.

Satish Kumar, Chairman and CEO of the Railway Board, inspected the corridor on Tuesday along with two other metro routes. He travelled between Howrah and Sealdah on the Green Line, from Noapara to Jai Hind Bimanbandar (Airport) on the Yellow Line, and between Ruby and Beleghata on the Orange Line. Kumar emphasised that the railways are committed to upholding the highest standards of cleanliness, safety and punctuality, in line with other metro corridors across the country.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to inaugurate these stretches soon, though the railway ministry has not yet confirmed a date.

Once services start, a one-way journey between Howrah Maidan and Sector V will take around 35 minutes, while the trip between Howrah and Sealdah stations will be reduced to about 12 minutes. Trains will operate every eight minutes during peak hours and every ten minutes during off-peak periods.

The East-West Metro employs a communications-based train control (CBTC) system, currently running with Automatic Train Protection Movement (ATPM) software or manual mode, maintaining a minimum 50-metre distance between trains. Trials are underway to introduce Automatic Train Operations (ATO) within six months, which is expected to reduce travel time by up to seven minutes and allow higher frequency.

The Green Line runs 17 six-coach trains manufactured by BEML, with 14 rakes already commissioned, according to the Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation (KMRC). The project has faced delays due to water leakage and soil subsidence since 2019.

Once operational, the commissioning of the Esplanade-Sealdah stretch will finally connect the entire 16.6-km East-West Metro corridor between Howrah Maidan and Sector V.