East-West Metro Becomes Kolkata's Lifeline Amid Protests

30 Aug 2024 CW Team

The East-West Metro in Kolkata proved to be an essential lifeline for commuters as it joined forces with the North-South Metro to ferry passengers underground while clashes erupted on the streets between police and protesters. The Esplanade-Howrah Maidan section of the East-West Metro became the sole means of travel between Kolkata and Howrah, transporting over 47,000 passengers by 5 pm, significantly surpassing its average daily ridership since its launch in March.

Metro officials anticipate that the total ridership could exceed the record 70,000 passengers on the corridor's opening day, March 15. Meanwhile, the North-South Metro carried around 3 lakh passengers by 5 pm, nearing its usual daily ridership of 5 lakhs.

From early morning, commuters from both cities crowded into the four metro stations, knowing there was no alternative for crossing the Hooghly River.

The 'Chhatra Samaj' protests led to a complete halt in road transport on the Howrah side of the river, leaving buses, taxis, and app cabs off the roads. Many commuters, like musician Soumendu Das from Mandirtala, relied on the metro to reach Kolkata for work, only to find themselves stranded without transport options in the evening.

Despite the inconveniences, commuters were grateful for the metro. Kalighat resident S K Das, 72, shared, "If it hadn?t been for the new metro, we would have missed the Rajdhani Express." Nirmal Das, a Mecheda resident working at the Esplanade post office, recounted his first under-river metro journey with mixed emotions, noting that while he had planned to try the new metro line, the protests forced him to do so sooner than expected.

This event highlights the critical role of Kolkata?s metro system in maintaining connectivity during times of crisis, providing an essential service when all other transport options fail.

Infrastructure Transport

30 May 2026

Chembur Metro to Boost East Mumbai Links

MMRDA is advancing eastern Mumbai’s urban mobility network, with the upcoming Chembur Metro Station set to emerge as a key interchange and the Mumbai Monorail preparing for relaunch.Dr Sanjay Mukherjee, Metropolitan Commissioner, MMRDA, conducted a site visit to Chembur Metro Station along with Kanhuraj Bagate, Managing Director, MMMOCL. He also visited the nearby VN Purav Monorail Station to review system preparedness and ease of interconnectivity.Once operational, the interchange is expected to offer commuters across the eastern suburbs quicker access, smoother transfers and seamless conne..

Herrenknecht TBMs Drive Thane–Borivali Tunnel Progress

Herrenknecht India has supplied two of the four tunnel boring machines (TBMs) required for the 11-km Thane–Borivali Twin Tunnel Project being developed by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA). The project is expected to reduce travel time between Thane and Borivali from 60–90 minutes to around 15 minutes while easing congestion across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.The first two Single Shield TBMs, named Nayak and Arjuna, feature 13.34-m cutterhead diameters and are designed for hard-rock excavation. They will be deployed to tunnel through the challenging geological..

KBL Launches Smart Skid Mounted Fire Pump Set

Kirloskar Brothers (KBL) has launched its Smart Skid Mounted Fire Pump Set, an integrated fire protection solution designed to improve operational efficiency, remote monitoring and installation flexibility. The system was inaugurated by Ms Madhuritai Misal, Hon. Minister of State for Urban Development, Government of Maharashtra.The Smart Skid Mounted Fire Pump Set is a factory-tested, pre-packaged solution that combines FM/UL-certified motor and engine pump sets with IoT-enabled remote monitoring. Designed to deliver a flow rate of 170 m³/hr at a head of 100 metres, the system aims to provide..