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Travelers heading to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata will soon have a smooth and easy journey with the upcoming metro service. The metro is expected to start by June or July 2025, making travel faster and more convenient. The 7 km stretch from Noapara to the airport is almost complete, and final safety checks will happen soon. According to the Times of India, the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) will inspect the Dum Dum Cantonment-Bimanbandar section in April, paving the way for the metro line's launch in mid-2025.
New metro station at the airport
The new metro station at the airport will be called Jai Hind Metro Station. It will greatly benefit passengers from the northern suburbs and improve Kolkata's public transport system. Devindar Kumar, the chief engineer of construction at Metro Railway, confirmed that the CRS will inspect the 4 km stretch between Dum Dum Cantonment and Bimanbandar in April. After the inspection, the metro services are expected to begin by mid-2025.
A source told the Times of India, "Depending on the CRS's inspection and approval, the Airport Metro may start operating in June or July." This extension is part of Phase 1 of the Yellow Line, which runs 18 km from Noapara to Barasat. Initially, the metro was supposed to stop at Dum Dum Cantonment, but Metro Railway General Manager P Uday Kumar Reddy pushed for the extension to the airport. This will make it Kolkata's first metro link to the airport.
Jai Hind Metro Station
The construction of Jai Hind Metro Station is a remarkable achievement. It is built 13 meters below the historic airport and is one of the largest underground metro stations in Asia. Covering 29,000 square meters, it has five platforms and a huge concourse area.
At first, only platforms 1 and 2 will be used, while platforms 3, 4, and 5 will be reserved for the future Orange Line, which will connect New Garia to the airport. The station is designed to handle 80,000 passengers daily and has five entrances. There will be two subways-one with walkalators from airport Gate No.1 for passengers with luggage, and another for commuters from Jessore Road, Birati, Barasat, and Madhyamgram.
The airport metro link is expected to make travel faster and more efficient. The metro station has a large stabling yard covering 17,497 square meters with seven tracks. Passengers will be able to reach Esplanade in just 30 minutes, making it easier to travel to Howrah and other metro lines.
"The Airport Metro station will have flyers reach Esplanade in 30 minutes and almost any corner of the city and the suburbs, along with Howrah, through different interfaces," said Devindar Kumar.
The upcoming Noapara-Airport Metro stretch is set to improve connectivity in Kolkata, making airport travel more comfortable for thousands of passengers. This new development marks a significant step in upgrading the city's urban transport system, offering a faster and more reliable way to travel across Kolkata.
