<p>Kolkata’s metro network is expanding, and the long waits are finally ending! A brand new route is set to open before the Pujas. Metro authorities are aiming to start the New Garia to Salt Lake Sector V line this year itself.</p><img>Metro Rail is set to bring a massive change to South and East Kolkata’s connectivity. They are targeting a December 31 deadline to start services on the new Orange Line extension, which will connect New Garia to Salt Lake Sector V.<img>This new line will directly connect South Kolkata with Salt Lake’s major IT hub. The metro will cut the travel time to just 35 minutes, a huge relief from the long road journey. Daily office-goers will benefit the most from this service.<img>The 366-metre ‘missing link’ at Chingrighata was a key hurdle. Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) has now finished about 335 metres of this stretch. Only about 31 metres of work is left to be completed.<img>According to Metro Rail sources, construction is complete for three key stations on this new corridor. The stations are Salt Lake Sector V, Nalban, and Gour Kishore Ghosh. This means the project is now in its final phase.<img>Before passenger services begin, the Commissioner of Railway Safety must inspect the line and give the final approval. If everything goes according to schedule, you can expect the New Garia to Salt Lake Sector V metro to start by the end of this year.<img>It’s not just the Orange Line. Work on the Purple Line project is also moving forward. The plan is to connect Joka to Eden Gardens, with the Joka-Esplanade section targeted for a 2029 launch. This new metro will make travel between South Kolkata, Chingrighata, and Sector V much faster.
