Lok Sabha Question No. 3042 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-11
Subject: Progress of Kolkata Metro Yellow Line
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Dr. Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3042

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 11.03.2026

## PROGRESS OF KOLKATA METRO YELLOW LINE

## 3042. DR. KAKOLI GHOSH DASTIDAR:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a)  the  detailed  project/progress  report  of  the  metro  line  connecting Noapara-Jai Hind Airport- Barasat;
- (b) whether any feasibility study has been done on the same and if so, the details thereof; and
- (c)  the  details  of  the  projected  timeline  for  the  completion  of  the  said project?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, INFORMATION & BROADCASTING AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

(a) to (c): Metro project in Kolkata started in 1972. The details of the 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 2024 |
|   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 to 2025                     |

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.
- (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:
- (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

|   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).   |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|

|   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 shifting of these unauthorized shops have also been constructed by Railway.                                                                                     |

| SN   | Location   | Issues                                                                                                                                                             |
|------|------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|      |            |  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. |

|   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. |

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 | Baranagar to Barrackpore |  The original alignment along the B.T road 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. |

Completion of Railway project/s depends on various factors which include the following:

-  Land acquisition by State Government
-  Forest clearance
-  Shifting of infringing utilities
-  Statutory clearances from various authorities
-  Geological and topographical conditions of area
-  Law and order situation in the area of project site
-  Number of working months in a year for particular project site etc.

All these factors affect the completion time of the project/s.

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