Lok Sabha Question No. 6118 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-04-01
Subject: Structural Health of Kolkata Metro
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Smt. Mala Roy

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 6118 TO BE ANSWERED ON 01.04.2026

## STRUCTURAL HEALTH OF KOLKATA METRO

## 6118. SMT. MALA ROY:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a)  the  details  of  the  monitoring  of  structural  health  like  pillars,  platform roof and railway track of Kolkata Metro; and
- (b)  the  details  of  the  periodical  monitoring  of  structural  health  report  of Said Metro?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, INFORMATION & BROADCASTING AND

## ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

(a) & (b) There is a well-established system of inspection and maintenance of  railway  tracks,  tunnels,  bridges  and  structures  on  Indian  Railway including Kolkata metro as prescribed in various manuals.

All the tracks, bridges, tunnels and other structures of Kolkata Metro is monitored through a system of regular and periodic inspections carried out by officials in accordance with laid down maintenance and inspection schedules. This includes daily patrolling, on-foot inspection, trolley inspection  and  foot  plate/rear  window  inspection  and  other  scheduled inspections  by  the  concerned  officials.  Based  on  regular  and  periodic inspections conducted by Metro Railway officials, necessary maintenance and repair works are planned and executed.

In  addition  to  routine  inspections,  special  technical  inspections  are also undertaken through specialized agencies like RITES Ltd. for comprehensive assessment of health of structures.

Repair/strengthening/rehabilitation  of  bridges,  tunnels,  tracks  and other  structures  is  a  continuous  process  and  is  undertaken  whenever  so warranted by their physical condition as ascertained during these inspections.  At  present  works  costing  about  Rs.  82  Cr.  sanctioned  for rehabilitation and strengthening of viaduct and structures.

§

Kolkata  Metro  in  Kolkata  started  in  1972.  The  details  of  the  Metro

Kolkata Metro commissioned since then are as under:

| Period                  | Metro Commissioned   |
|-------------------------|----------------------|
| 1972 to 2014 (42 years) | 28 km                |
| 2014 to 2025 (11 years) | 45 km                |

## The details of Metro Corridors commissioned are as under:

|   S.No. | Metro Corridor                                               | Section Commissioned                                                                   |
|---------|--------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|       1 | Kavi Subash - Noapara (28 Km) (Blue Line)                    | This Corridor commissioned before year 2014 (This required about 42 years to complete) |
|       2 | Noapara - Dakshineswar (4.14 Km) (Extension of Blue Line)    | This Corridor commissioned in 2020- 21                                                 |
|       3 | Noapara - Jaihind Airport - Barasat (18 Km) (Yellow Line)    | Noapara - Jaihind Airport section (6.77 Km) Commissioned in 2025-26                    |
|       4 | Joka - Majerhat - Esplanade (14 Km) (Purple Line)            | Joka - Majerhat section (7.74 Km) Commissioned in stages from 2022 to 2o24.            |
|       5 | New Garia - Belaghata - Dumdum Airport (32 Km) (Orange Line) | New Garia - Belaghata (9.8 Km) Commissioned in stages between 2023-26                  |
|       6 | Howrah Maidan - Salt Lake Sec. V (16.55 Km) (Green Line)     | This Corridor commissioned in stages from 2019-25.                                     |

Further, work pertaining to 4 Metro corridors at total length of about 52 km is under progress, out of which 20 km of work is held up due to land acquisition  and  utility  shifting  issues  pertaining  to  State  Government.  In the  rest  of  the  Metro  stretch,  though  the  work  is  in  progress  yet  facing difficulties  due  to  one  or  other  reasons  at  the  end  of  State  Government. Details are as below:

- (i) Noapara -  Jaihind  Airport  -  Barasat  (18  km):  Noapara  -  Jai  Hind Airport (6.77 km) has been commissioned and work from Jai Hind

Airport to Michael Nagar is in progress. However, work from New Barrackpore to Barasat (7.5 km) is held up due to land acquisition and encroachment issues by State authorities.

|   SN | Location                   | Issues                                                                                                                                                                                              |
|------|----------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|    1 | New Barrackpore to Barasat |  Land acquisition (23,000 sq. m) and removal of heavy encroachments (1277 hutments, 764 shops) are involved in this section.  The matter is not yet resolved by Government of West Bengal (GoWB). |

- (ii) Joka - Majerhat - Esplanade (14 km): Joka - Majerhat (7.74 km) has been commissioned and balance work from Majerhat to Esplanade (6.26  km)  has  been  taken  up.  However,  progress  of  the  work  is affected due to the following issues:

|   SN | Location                 | Issues                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    |
|------|--------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|    1 | Khidderpur Metro Station |  For utility shifting and road traffic diversion, 837 sqm permanent and 1,702 sqm temporary land of State Government (Kolkata Armed Police) is required. The proposal of this land was sent to State Government on 24.08.2020.  Several meetings were held with officials of Government of West Bengal (GoWB) for transfer of above land.  After lot of persuasion, State Government finally accorded approval in July 2025 only after almost 5 years. |
|    2 | Dr. B.C. Roy Market      |  For construction of Esplanade Metro Station, temporary shifting of unauthorised 528 Shops at B.C. Roy Market on Defence land is required.  The proposal for NOC of temporary/permanent shifting of these shops was submitted to State Government in February 2022. Shops for temporary                                                                                                                                                                 |

| SN   | Location   | Issues                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |
|------|------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|      |            | shifting of these unauthorized shops have also been constructed by Railway.  The State Government has been requested to facilitate shifting. Regular follow up with State PWD is also being done.  Issue is pending for more than 3.5 years. |

- (iii) New Garia - Belaghata  -  Dum  Dum  Airport  (32  km):  New  Garia  Belaghata (9.8 km) has been commissioned and balance work from Belaghata  to  Dum  Dum  Airport  (22.2  km)  has  been  taken  up. However,  progress  of  the  work  is  affected  due  to  the  following issues:
- (iv) Baranagar  -  Barrackpore  -  Dakshineshwar  (14.5  km):  Baranagar  Dakshineshwar (2 km) has been commissioned and balance work from Baranagar to Barrackpore (12.5 km) is held up due to pending utility shifting in the alignment by state government authorities. The details are as below:

|   SN | Location                                                                | Issues                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           |
|------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|    1 | Chingrighata Crossing (Between Beleghata - Gour Kishore Ghosh stations) |  Temporary traffic diversion at Chingrighata crossing for launching of viaduct segments is required for 3 nights each on either side of the road (8 hours on every night).  The proposal was submitted to Government of West Bengal (GoWB) in December 2024.  The diversion road as desired by Kolkata traffic police has already been constructed in February 2025.  Since then, several meetings have been held with various State Government and Kolkata police officials for NOC.  The NOC is still awaited even after about 12 months. |

|   SN | Location   | Issues                                      |
|------|------------|---------------------------------------------|
|    1 | Baranagar  |  The original alignment along the B.T road |

| to Barrackpore   | was agreed in 2011 as per MoU among Metro Railway, RVNL and Kolkata Municipal Corporation.  As per MoU, existing pipeline was to be replaced by new 64-inch diameter pipeline by the State Government.  Shifting of this pipeline was completed in 2012.  However, NOC is still awaited from Government of West Bengal.   |
|------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

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