The Ministry of Railways will introduce 60 new-generation Metro rakes to modernise the Kolkata Metro network over the next four-five years, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced during a meeting at the West Bengal State Secretariat, Nabanna, on 6 June.
The new rakes are part of the Centre’s plan to upgrade the city’s Metro services as the network continues to expand across Kolkata.
Vaishnaw said Kolkata Metro has added 45 Km of lines in the last 11 years, compared to 27 Km added over the previous 40 years.
The Railway Minister also spoke about the proposed East-West Dedicated Greenfield Freight Corridor from Dankuni in West Bengal to Surat in Gujarat.
The 2,052 Km corridor is planned to improve logistics and trade movement between eastern and western industrial hubs of the country.
The minister said West Bengal has received a record railway budget allocation of ₹14,205 crore, which is expected to support passenger and logistics services in the state.
The meeting also discussed Metro construction work in Kolkata, including the 34-metre Chingrighata viaduct Metro pillar gap. The work was completed within 48 hours, the release said.
The meeting was attended by the West Bengal Council of Ministers and senior officers from Eastern Railway, South Eastern Railway and Metro Railway.
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