Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the extension of Metro Railway from Noapara to Dakshineswar in West Bengal and flagged off the first service on this stretch on 22 February 2021. He also inaugurated the third line between Kalaikunda and Jhargram.
The PM dedicated to the nation the doubling of Azimganj to Khargraghat Road section of Eastern Railway, fourth line between Dankuni and Baruipara and the third line between Rasulpur and Magra.
The extension of Metro Railway from Noapara to Dakshineswar and flagging off the first service on this stretch will decongest road traffic and improve urban mobility. The 4.1 km extension has been constructed at a cost of Rs 464 crore, fully funded by the Central government.
This extension will ease out access to the two Kali temples at Kalighat and Dakshineswar for lakhs of tourists and devotees. The two newly-built stations, namely Baranagar and Dakshineswar, have modern passenger amenities and are also aesthetically designed and decorated with murals, photographs, sculptures and idols.
The third line between Kalaikunda and Jhargram over a stretch of 30 km of 132 km long Kharagpur-Adityapur third line project of the South Eastern Railway was sanctioned at an estimated cost of Rs 1,312 crore.
The four stations between Kalaikunda and Jhargram have been redeveloped by constructing four new station buildings, six new foot-over-bridges (FOBs) and 11 new platforms, along with renovation of the existing infrastructure. It will help ensure seamless movement of passengers and freight trains on Howrah-Mumbai trunk route.
The fourth line between Dankuni and Baruipara (11.28 km) of Howrah-Bardhaman Chord Line and the third line between Rasulpur and Magra (42.42 km) of Howrah-Bardhaman Main Line serve as principal gateway of Kolkata.
The third line between Rasulpur and Magra has been laid at a cost of Rs 759 crore, while the fourth line between Dankuni and Baruipara has been laid at a cost of Rs 195 crore.
The doubling of Azimganj to Khargraghat Road section, which is a part of Howrah-Bandel-Azimganj section of the Eastern Railway, has been laid at a cost of around Rs 240 crore.
These projects will ensure better operational fluidity, less journey time and enhanced safety of train operations, as well as boost the overall economic growth of the region.