The final inspection of the 2.6 kilometre stretch between Esplanade and Sealdah on Kolkata’s East-West Metro Corridor was conducted on Sunday by the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS), a key milestone before passenger operations can begin.

Sumeet Singhal, CRS of the North Frontier Circle, led the detailed inspection of systems including tracks, tunnels, ventilation, trains and emergency response mechanisms. He was joined by Anuj Mittal, Managing Director of Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation Limited (KMRCL), and senior officials from Metro Railway. Authorities noted that the CRS was satisfied with the readiness of the section, indicating likely approval soon.

Once cleared, the full 16.55 km Green Line—from Salt Lake Sector V to Howrah Maidan—can be commissioned. Currently, services run in two segments: Salt Lake Sector V to Sealdah (9.4 km) and Howrah Maidan to Esplanade (4.8 km).

The Esplanade-Sealdah section faced a five-year delay due to tunnel collapses and water ingress at Bowbazar starting in August 2019. These challenges were addressed using advanced retrofitting and geo-stabilisation techniques. With the Communication-Based Train Control (CBTC) system now fully in place, the corridor is ready for full operations.

Source:Millennium Post