Kolkata Metro’s Orange Line has completed a successful trial run between Beleghata and Sector V, bringing the long-delayed extension closer to opening for passengers and improving the planned connection between New Garia and the city’s major employment district.
The trial run was conducted on Saturday, October 10, on the extended section of the Orange Line. According to Sangbad Pratidin – Kolkata, passenger services could begin around Christmas, potentially on December 25, from Kavi Subhash, also known as New Garia, directly to Sector V. The proposed service will cover Gaur Kishore Ghosh, Nalban and Sector V stations on the extended section.
The passenger-service start is not yet final. After the trial run, the line must receive clearance from the Commissioner of Railway Safety. Passenger operations can begin only after that approval is granted, according to the report.
At present, the Orange Line carries passengers on a roughly nine-kilometre section between Kavi Subhash and Beleghata. Once the extension becomes operational, the metro network on this corridor is expected to cover more than 15 kilometres, allowing commuters to travel directly between New Garia and Sector V in significantly less time than existing road-based journeys, the report said.
Sector V is one of Kolkata’s principal employment and commercial districts, and the proposed direct connection is expected to benefit people working there. The line’s extension has been delayed for about two and a half years because of work pending at Chingrighata. The obstruction was subsequently resolved and construction resumed on the affected section.
The most intensive part of the recent work involved a 366-metre stretch at Chingrighata and the adjoining line. According to the report, this work was completed in 90 days. The completion allowed the metro authorities to conduct the trial run from Beleghata to Sector V.
The extension is part of a larger effort to connect the southern end of Kolkata’s metro network with Sector V, an area that generates substantial daily travel demand. At present, commuters travelling between New Garia and Sector V often depend on roads and transfers. A direct Orange Line service would reduce the need for such changes for passengers located near the corridor’s stations.
However, the successful trial does not itself authorise public operations. Safety inspection and certification remain the immediate formal steps before the proposed service can open. The final launch date will therefore depend on the Railway Safety Commissioner’s clearance and the readiness of the metro authorities.
If the approvals are secured, passenger services from Kavi Subhash to Sector V could begin by December 25, extending the operational Orange Line beyond Beleghata and bringing the delayed Chingrighata section into regular metro use.
