# Orange Line (Kolkata Metro)

Orange Line is a rapid transit metro line of the Kolkata Metro in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. It will connect New Garia with Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport via two major satellite towns of Kolkata metropolitan region, Salt Lake and New Town. It currently operates between Kavi Subhash and Hemanta Mukhopadhyay. This line will be one of the most important stretches of Kolkata Metro because it will connect the southern and the eastern parts of the city with Kolkata Airport. The total distance of this route will be 29.87 km (18.56 mi). It has an interchange with Blue Line at Kavi Subhash and will eventually connect with Green Line near IT Centre and Yellow Line at Jai Hind.

## History

This project was sanctioned in the budget of 2010–11 by Mamata Banerjee with a project deadline of six years. The execution of this project has been entrusted to RVNL at a cost of Rs 3951.98 crore. It will help to reduce travel time between the southern fringes of Kolkata to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport and will have 23 elevated stations, 1 underground station and 1 at-grade. The terminal Airport station being the underground one.
Work for construction of the terminal station at New Garia for the 29.87 km (18.56 mi) Kavi Subhash-Biman Bandar (via Rajarhat) metro project finally resumed on 14 February 2017 with Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd (RVNL) demarcating the plot they require for the purpose.
The work has been delayed for years due to multiple issues. At first AAI objected the station above the ground, stating that this could be a threat for air traffic. Many underground utilities, power sub-station and water treatment plant had to be shifted. Encroachments and Land acquisition problems held up the project for multiple times.
The 5 km (3.1 mi) stretch from New Garia to Ruby Hospital was expected to start from 2018. As of now, the station and associated metro viaduct connections are fully completed with trail runs being conducted over this and other phase 1 stations. RVNL planned to launch the metro over this truncated route before this year's Durga Puja, but was postponed due to signalling issues.
After lot of hardships and developmental work, the Kavi Subhash–Hemanta Mukhopadhyay section of Orange Line was inaugurated on 6 March 2024 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with the truncated sections of Taratala–Majerhat under Purple Line and Esplanade–Howrah Maidan under Green Line. A week later after inauguration and a day after commercial run started on Kavi Subhash-Hemanta Mukhopadhyay section, RVNL announced the completion of a 76 m viaduct gap after construction of a single-span open-web girder steel bridge over Tagore Park culvert. This completed the viaduct up to Beliaghata metro station. Trial runs have started over Hemanta Mukhopadhyay-Beleghata metro station and this stretch is planned to open in late 2024.

## Route

The stations are named after eminent Bengali personalities. and will have 22 elevated stations, 1 underground station and 1 at-grade. The terminal Airport station will be the underground one. This station will also have a yard and it will be the largest underground facility of India and city's first. It will be 550 m (1,800 ft) long and 41.6 m (136 ft) wide and will facilitate stabling and reversal of rakes, but it will not be a carshed. One will be able to interchange to Yellow Line at Dum Dum Airport, Green Line at VIP Road (Teghoria) and near IT Centre and Blue Line at Kavi Subhash. At Kavi Subhash, rail interchange is also available (Sealdah South Section).
On 4 January 2021 the state government decided to rename 9 metro stations in New Town area to their more prevailing names rather than using the old ones which were given during the planning phase. The state transport department has informed Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation (HIDCO) of the new names of the proposed nine metro stations between Nazrul Tirtha at the entry of New Town from Salt Lake Sector V till Chinar Park, the last station on the line before it turns right on VIP road towards Kolkata Airport.
Orange Line :
| # | Station name | Station name | Location | Phase | Opening | Connections | Layout | Notes |
| # | English | Bengali | Location | Phase | Opening | Connections | Layout | Notes |
| 1 | Jai Hind | জয় হিন্দ | Kolkata Airport | 4 | Under construction | Yellow Line • Jai Hind (U/C) ---- Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport Airport AC Bus Stand Airport Gate No. 1 Bus Stop Airport Gate No. 2 Bus Stop Airport Gate No. 2.5 Bus Stop Airport Gate No. 3 Bus Stop | Underground | |
| 2 | VIP Road | ভি আই পি রোড | Teghoria | 4 | Under construction | Green Line • Haldirams (Planned) ---- Minibus Stand Haldiram Bus Stop | Elevated | Haldiram Crossing, Kaikhali |
| 3 | Chinar Park | চিনার পার্ক | New Town | 3 | Under construction | | Elevated | |
| 4 | City Centre-2 | সিটি সেন্টার-২ | New Town | 3 | Under construction | | Elevated | |
| 5 | Mangaldeep | মঙ্গলদীপ | New Town | 3 | Under construction | | Elevated | Also known as Akanksha 5-point crossing |
| 6 | Eco Park | ইকো পার্ক | New Town | 3 | Under construction | | Elevated | Also known as Nawabpur |
| 7 | Mother's Wax Museum | মাদার্স ওয়াক্স মিউজিয়াম | New Town | 3 | Under construction | | Elevated | Also known as Owl More,Orange Line Metro Depot Road,Eco Park Gate-2 |
| 8 | Shiksha Tirtha | শিক্ষা তীর্থ | New Town | 3 | Under construction | | Elevated | Also known as Kala Kshetra,Jatragachi,The Westin More,Eco Park Gate-1 police phari |
| 9 | Biswa Bangla Convention Centre | বিশ্ব বাংলা কনভেনশন সেন্টার | New Town | 3 | Under construction | | Elevated | Also known as Narkelbagan / Rabindra Tirtha |
| 10 | Swapnabhor | স্বপ্ন ভোর | New Town | 3 | Under construction | | Elevated | Axis & Central Mall,Novatel |
| 11 | Nazrul Tirtha | নজরুল তীর্থ | New Town | 3 | Under construction | | Elevated | Also known as Newtown Bus Stand, DLF-1 |
| 12 | Nabadiganta | নবদিগন্ত | Salt Lake | 3 | Under construction | | Elevated | Also known as Bidhannagar Limit,Mahishbathan,Technopolis |
| 13 | IT Centre | আই টি সেন্টার | Salt Lake | 2 | Under construction | Green Line • Salt Lake Sector-V ---- Wipro Bus Stop Saltlake Bus Depot Karunamoyee Bus Station(WBTC,CTC,SBSTC,NBSTC) | Elevated | Located near IT Hub of Kolkata |
| 14 | Nalban | নলবন | Salt Lake | 2 | Under construction | | Elevated | Serving Nicco Park |
| 15 | Gour Kishore Ghosh (Chingrighata) | গৌর কিশোর ঘোষ | Salt Lake | 2 | Under construction | | Elevated | Also known as Chingrighata / Sukanta Nagar, Jadavpur University Salt Lake Campus |
| 16 | Beleghata | বেলেঘাটা | Metropolitan | 2 | Under construction | | Elevated | Also known as Tangra Metropolitan Township |
| 17 | Barun Sengupta (Science City) | বরুণ সেনগুপ্ত | Dhapa/Mathpukur | 2 | Under construction | | Elevated | Also known as Metropolitan |
| 18 | Ritwik Ghatak (Bantala Road) | ঋত্বিক ঘটক | Uttar Panchanagram | 2 | Under construction | | Elevated | |
| 19 | VIP Bazar | ভি আই পি বাজার | VIP Bazar | 2 | Under construction | | Elevated | |
| 20 | Hemanta Mukhopadhyay (Ruby Hospital) | হেমন্ত মুখোপাধ্যায় | Ruby Island | 1 | 6 March 2024 | | Elevated | Also known as Kasba Golpark / East Kolkata Township |
| 21 | Kavi Sukanta (Kalikapur) | কবি সুকান্ত | Kalikapur | 1 | 6 March 2024 | | Elevated | |
| 22 | Jyotirindra Nandi (Mukundpur) | জ্যোতিরিন্দ্র নন্দী | Mukundapur | 1 | 6 March 2024 | | Elevated | Also known as Singhbari |
| 23 | Satyajit Ray | সত্যজিৎ রায় | SRFTI / Hiland Park | 1 | 6 March 2024 | Bengal Ambuja Bus Stop Hiland Park Bus Stop Peerless Hospital Bus Stop | Elevated | Also known as Chak Garia / Ajoy Nagar |
| 24 | Kavi Subhash | কবি সুভাষ | New Garia | 1 | 6 March 2024 | Blue Line • Kavi Subhash ---- New Garia railway station New Garia Station Bus Stand | At Grade | |