NEW DELHI : If Miss Mamata Banerjee’s home city had been expecting more metro and suburban services, the minister did not disappoint Kolkata in her budget even as Mumbai and Chennai also got their share of new and additional services.
Apart from 34 new services in Kolkata Metro, the minister announced introduction of 50 new suburban services in the city. The railways minister proposed to set up Kolkata Rail Vikas Corporation (KRVC) for improving Kolkata’s suburban railway system.
It will raise funds through banks and other financial institutions, municipal corporation and other stakeholders on the lines of Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation.
“I believe, this single measure (KRVC) will kickstart Kolkata’s return to its days of glory,” Miss Banerjee said, expressing hope that it would bring transformation to the suburban transport system in the city that needs “to upgrade its entire suburban system with better, faster and more number of train services, including 15-car trains”.
She also announced setting up of a core committee to closely monitor progress of ongoing works at four sections of the only metro project with the railways ~ Kolkata Zonal Metro Railway. These include Naopara to Barasat via Bimanbandar, Baranagar to Barrackpore and Baranagar to Dakshineswar, Dum-Dum Airport to New Garia via Rajerhat; and Joka to BBD Bagh via Majerhat.
Seven new surveys will also be undertaken for new lines of Kolkata Metro. The surveys will be for connectivity of Kolkata Metro to Joka-Diamond Harbour, Baruipur-Kavi Subhash, Howarh Maidan to Serampore via Dankuni and Singur, Howrah Maidan-Belur, Howrah Maidan-Santragachi-Dhulagarh, Joka-Mahanayak Uttam Kumar; and Barrackpore to Kalyani. Two non-stop trains will also be introduced between Bardhman and Howrah. The minister proposed to introduce running of a peak time local to BBD Bagh from Bongaon/ Krishnanagar.
The areas where 50 additional suburban services will be run in Kolkata include Howrah-Uluberia, Howrah-Midnapore, Howrah-Kharagpur, Howrah-Singur, Howrah-Memari, Howrah-Barddhaman, Howrah-Haripal-Tarakeswar, Howrah-Kolaghat, Howrah-Sarupnagar, Sealdah-Canning/Jaynagar Majilpur, Sealdah-Kakdwip-Namkhana, Sealdah-Sonarpur, Sealdah-Baruipur-Diamond Harbour, Sealdah-Barasat-Hasnabad, Sealdah-Thakurnagar, Sealdah-Barasat-Bongaon, Sealdah-Naihati-Ranaghat-Gede, Sealdah-Shantipur-Krishnanagar, Sealdah-Kalyani, Sealdah-Barrackpore, Sealdah-Budge-Budge, Sealdah-Dankuni, Bongaon-Ranaghat-Shantipur, Howrah-Seorraphuli-Bandel and Sealdah-Basirhat.
In Chennai, the railway minister proposed to run nine additional services. These include Chennai- Beach-Gummidipundi, Gummidipundi-Chennai Central, Avadi-Chennai Beach, Chennai Central-Tiruvallur, Tiruvallur-Chennai Central. Chennai Beach-Tambaram is proposed to be extended to Chengalpattu.
Ten additional services will be run in Secunderabad area. These services include Falaknuma-Lingampalli, Lingampalli-Hyderabad and Hyderabad-Falaknuma sections. Besides this, the minister announced that 83 suburban services in Secunderabad area will be augmented from the present 6-car to 9-car services. In Delhi area, the minister proposed to run two additional services on Delhi-Ghaziabad section.
Miss Banerjee proposed to develop integrated suburban railway networks in large cities like Mumbai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Kolkata and Chennai for bringing together suburban railway, metro railway and other rail infrastructure under a single integrated system. “This will provide faster, efficient, affordable and comfortable transportation to the citizens,” she said adding that this concept will be introduced in those cities where suburban system exists. The minister also proposed to strengthen the suburban system of Hyderabad-Secunderabad by implementing six projects under MMTS Phase II.
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