Kolkata : Trial runs on Beleghata-Sector V (IT Centre) stretch of New-Garia Airport Metro corridor, also known as Orange Line, will start from Oct 10, an RVNL official told TOI.
Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL), the implementing agency for Orange Line, is targeting a commercial run till Sector V from Christmas, the official added.
“The trial run of trains is likely to start from Oct 10, which is the day of Mahalaya.
It will continue for the next one month or more as a lot of software alignment, syncing and other necessary checks will be executed,” the official said. We are targeting Christmas as a lot of people visit Nicco Park on the day and in the week between Christmas and New Year,” said the official. “Three new stations will be added to the network – Gour Kishore Ghosh, Nalban and Sector V,” the official said. “As per the current plan, we aim to throw open phase IV, between Sector V and City Centre II by June 2027, and the last phase till Airport by the end of 2027,” the official added.
Mahalaya, when the trial run has been planned, is also the day when PM Narendra Modi is likely to be in Kolkata for a mega Durga Puja event at Eden Gardens. Orange Line is now operational on an over 9km stretch between Kavi Subhas and Beleghata stations. Once trains start running till Sector V, Orange Line will be operational on a stretch spanning over 14km. The full length of Orange Line – between Kavi Subhas and Airport – will be over 32km. The extension till Sector V will be the third phase of Orange Line. In two more phases, the entire corridor will be complete.