East-west Metro link modified

KOLKATA: It is not going to be from Rajarhat to Ramrajatala as planned earlier.
A survey report submitted to the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority last month by Pacific Consultant International has proposed a new Metro link between Rajarhat New Town and New Dasnagar, via Sealdah and Howrah stations.
According to the feasibility study on the East-West Metro Corridor of Kolkata, the proposed rail link would take off from a depot at Rajarhat, cross the Bagjola Canal and then come up to the first station close to Rajarhat-II.From there, it would go straight to Rajarhat-I and then, crossing the Krishnapur Canal, enter Salt Lake Sector V.
Within Salt Lake, the link would come close to Karunamoyee and then pass through Sector II of Bidhannagar along Central Park, before entering Sector I. As soon as the link reaches E.M.
Bypass, it would cross the thoroughfare and go past the Bengal Chemical complex.
From there it would come directly to the Kankurgachhi crossing and then run along the Maniktala Main Road. The link would turn left as soon as it reaches the Eastern Railway’s Dum Dum junction-Sealdah link near Narkeldanga and run along the suburban tracks till it hits Sealdah station.
Touching Sealdah, the East-West link would go along B.B. Ganguly Street and join the existing Metro route from Dum Dum to Tollygunge under C.R. Avenue.
After that, the link would continue along B.B. Ganguly Street and again take a right turn just ahead of Writers’. Circling the state secretariat, the link would cross the Hooghly to reach Howrah station. The tracks would carry on, crossing the G.T. Road up to Dasnagar via Kadamtala. Finally, the tracks would end close to New Dasnagar.
The proposed Metro will have three types of stations: Type A, which is Rajarhat phase II at the ground level; Type B, the elevated stations on a viaduct from Rajarhat I to Bengal Chemical in Kolkata and Kadamtala to New Dasnagar in Howrah; and Type C, or the underground stations between Kankurgachhi and Howrah Maidan.
Two tubular structures have also been proposed for the trains to run under the Hooghly, linking Kolkata and Howrah.