A Metro Railway official said commercial services on these routes are likely to start before the end of this year.
Kolkata Metro services on the two new routes - Joka-Tartala and Garia-Rubi - are expected to start by the end of 2022, making Kolkata less difficult soon. According to an official, the East-West Metro - which runs from Salt Lake City to Howrah via Kolkata - is also projected to start service in its full length by August 2023.
The initial phase of the Joka–Esplanade line, which was severely delayed in completion, would operate only between Joka and Taratala. The completion of the East-West Metro has been delayed significantly, due to three incidents that happened during the last three years while tunneling at Bowbazar in central Kolkata.
As a result of a Tunnel Digging Machine (TBM) hitting an aquifer on August 31, 2019, Bobazar witnessed massive earth erosion and several structures collapsed. At least three houses were damaged once again in May this year as water seeped into the ground during work on connecting tunnels coming from the Sealdah side to the east and the Esplanade side to the west. In October, water seeped into at least 12 houses in Bowbazar. This was in response to tunnel construction.
"The commercial services between New Garia and Ruby Crossing and Joka-Tartala are likely to start before the end of this year," a Metro Railway official told PTI.
Commercial services between Joka and Taratala will start after a trial run that began in September, following requisite approvals from the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS). According to sources, the 6.2-km New Garia and Ruby crossing section of the New Garia-Airport line, for which a trial run was also conducted in September, is yet to undergo CRS inspection.
If there are no more significant roadblocks, the entire 16.6 km east-west metro route connecting Sector V in Salt Lake City with Howrah Maidan is estimated to be finished between June and August 2023, according to the official.
"As of today, our target is to start the service by August 2023, it may start earlier too," the official said.
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