Kolkata’s public transport network has added a fourth depot-based compressed natural gas (CNG) station, with the new facility at the South Bengal State Transport Corporation depot in Belgharia becoming the first in the system to receive gas directly through a pipeline. The station will supply CNG to government buses and private vehicles. The facility was commissioned on Tuesday by Bengal Gas Corporation (BGCL) in partnership with the South Bengal State Transport Corporation (SBSTC). The project cost Rs. 32 mn and was inaugurated by state labour and transport minister Arjun Singh. Its pipeline connection is intended to provide a more reliable supply than stations dependent on gas transported in cascades. The direct supply arrangement is particularly significant for a bus depot because refuelling reliability affects the ability of operators to keep gas-powered vehicles in daily service. BGCL currently operates 33 CNG stations across its authorised geographical area, including three at state transport depots: WBTC’s Kasba depot, NBSTC’s Ultadanga depot and WBTC’s Tollygunge depot. The Belgharia station comes as SBSTC operates around 150 CNG buses. Officials said the corporation’s fleet could grow as additional refuelling infrastructure becomes available, linking the expansion of vehicle numbers to the development of supporting fuel facilities. The project therefore adds capacity both for current operations and for any future increase in the depot’s gas-powered fleet. BGCL is planning similar facilities at WBTC’s Nilgunj and Barasat depots, SBSTC’s Howrah depot and the Santragachi bus depot. If implemented, the stations would extend CNG access across more operating locations and reduce dependence on a limited number of depot-based refuelling points. At the inauguration, Singh said the government was focusing on green energy to reduce pollution and would introduce more electric and CNG-powered buses. The proposed depot projects remain the next stated steps in expanding Kolkata’s alternative-fuel bus infrastructure.