PM lays foundation stone of 6-lane elevated Kona Expressway, inaugurates 3 metro routes

Kolkata, Aug 22 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday laid the foundation stone of the six-lane Kona Expressway project, worth over Rs 1,200 crore, besides inaugurating three new metro routes in Kolkata.

The 7.2 km-long Kona Expressway will significantly boost connectivity between Howrah, adjoining rural areas and Kolkata, cutting down travel time by hours and giving a major push to trade, commerce and tourism in the region, officials said.

Earlier in the day, the prime minister flagged off the three new metro services spanning the Green, Yellow and Orange lines, covering 13.61 km, which officials termed as a "defining moment" in the city's metro journey that began in 1984.

"It is a matter of pride that India boasts the third-largest metro network in the world. Remarkably, prior to 2014, the country had only 250 km of metro routes. Today, that figure has exceeded 1,000 km," Modi said.

In Kolkata, the metro network has also witnessed significant expansion, with the addition of seven new stations. These developments will greatly enhance the ease of living and commuting for the residents of the metropolis, he said.

"This marks a big step towards improved urban mobility and seamless connectivity. Cities like Kolkata are a rich identity of both India's history and our future," the PM said, after the foundation stone-laying ceremony.

He said the Union government is making every possible effort for West Bengal's development, and that the eastern state has achieved 100 per cent railway electrification.

"Twenty-first century India needs a 21st century transport system. Therefore, today, from rail to road, from metro to airport... we are not only developing modern transport facilities, but also connecting them with one another," Modi said.

The PM said the newly inaugurated routes will ensure "ease of living and travel for the people of Kolkata." "From rail to road, metro to airport, we are introducing modern facilities and increasing multi-mode connectivity," he emphasised.

He said the Union government is doing everything for the progress of West Bengal.

"From Purulia to Howrah, MEMU train has been introduced, while nine Vande Bharat trains and two Amrut Bharat trains were introduced," he added.

Modi highlighted that in the past 11 years, many highway projects had been launched after the BJP came to power at the Centre.

He stressed that the six-lane elevated Kona Expressway will significantly enhance connectivity and become a "game changer for Bengal in its progress." Turning to the government’s focus on green energy, Modi said, "Today’s Bharat is working towards green mobility." He added that "more electric vehicles and more electric charging points" are among the priority areas to harness green technology.

The 13.61 km-long newly inaugurated network, spread across the Green, Yellow and Orange lines, marks a defining moment in the city's metro journey that began in 1984.

The Green Line extension between Sealdah and Esplanade (2.45 km) will provide the first seamless metro link between the two busiest railway terminals in the metropolis — Howrah and Sealdah. What takes nearly 50 minutes by road through snarled traffic will now take about 11 minutes underground.

For air travellers, the Yellow Line stretch from Noapara to Jai Hind Bimanbandar (6.77 km) will, for the first time in 41 years, connect the airport directly with the city's metro grid.

The airport run, which typically takes over an hour by road, is expected to be halved to just 30 minutes.

The third corridor, the Orange Line, will further expand the city's east-west connectivity, adding capacity to a network that has been steadily growing in recent years.

Modi inaugurated the 4.4 km stretch between Hemanta Mukhopadhyay-Beleghata section of the Orange Line.

The Green Line will see the biggest benefit with services increasing to 186.

The Orange Line will now run 60 services while the Yellow Line will operate 120.

With the inauguration of the new routes, nearly 9.15 lakh passengers can travel by Kolkata Metro every day, powered by 366 new Metro train services across three sections, designed to provide faster and more regular travel, the Metro Railway spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee skipped the inauguration event, with TMC leaders citing alleged harassment of migrants from the state in BJP-ruled regions as the reason. PTI SUS PNT RBT MNB