Ashwini Vaishnaw inspects progress of East-West metro project from Howrah Maidan to Esplanade stretch

Union Minister of Railways, Communications, Electronics & Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw recently inspected the Howrah Maidan to Esplanade stretch of the East-West Metro (Green Line) project work in Kolkata. During the inspection, Vaishnaw enquired about the state-of-the-art passenger amenities that will be provided and assured that all Metro projects in the city have been allocated sufficient funds. Vaishnaw also inspected the deepest Metro station in India at Howrah, which is 33m below the surface and has four underground levels covering an area of over 5 lakh sq ft. Once commissioned, this station will become a gateway of Kolkata, connecting twin cities Howrah and Kolkata. Vaishnaw expressed his happiness seeing the progress of work of the East-West Metro and hoped that it will provide the ultimate transportation solution to the people of Kolkata. It was reported that Kolkata will become the first city in the country to conclude successfully the trial of the underground metro in April 2023. Vaishnaw expressed his hope that the 4.8km long stretch of East-West Metro connecting Howrah Maidan and Esplanade will be opened for the general public by December 2023. An official statement released indicated that the Metro Corridor will carry 6.7 lakh passengers daily at the start of services over the entire corridor.