Esplanade–Sealdah stretch of East-West Metro gets CRS clearance, paving way for full corridor launch

Kolkata: The much-awaited last leg of the East-West Metro between Sealdah and Esplanade has received formal clearance from the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS), bringing Kolkata one step closer to seamless metro travel between Salt Lake Sector V and Howrah Maidan.

The clearance letter reached Kolkata Metro Railway authorities on Monday evening, according to the sources.

A prerequisite for the commencement of passenger services on any metro section, the mandatory inspection of the Sealdah–Esplanade section was carried out on Sunday, by Sumeet Singhal, CRS of the North Frontier Circle. He was accompanied by Anuj Mittal, Managing Director of Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation (KMRC)—the implementing agency for the East-West Metro project—along with officials from Metro Railway and KMRC. “The CRS has expressed satisfaction with the section’s preparedness for passenger operations. Once the formal approval was received, planning for the full commissioning of the 16.55-km Green Line from Salt Lake Sector V to Howrah Maidan could begin,” a spokesperson for Kolkata Metro Railway had said.

The CRS authorisation reads: “I hereby sanction the opening of the section from Sealdah station to Esplanade station for the public carriage of passengers under 750V DC, Third Rail Traction system up to the maximum operating speed of 80 kmph in ATP mode with the CBTC signalling system, subject to various temporary and permanent speed restrictions imposed from time to time, whichever is lower.”

The East-West Metro, also known as the Green Line, is currently operational in two disjointed segments—Salt Lake Sector V to Sealdah (9.4 km) and Howrah Maidan to Esplanade (4.8 km). The Esplanade–Sealdah stretch had remained a missing link for years due to severe challenges, including water ingress and tunnel collapses in the Bowbazar area.

With the CRS clearance now in place, the two segments will be connected, enabling uninterrupted metro travel along the entire 16.55-km corridor beneath the Hooghly River and through central Kolkata. Travel time between Howrah and Sealdah—two major railway hubs—is expected to be reduced to just 11 minutes once full operations commence.

However, no official date has yet been announced for the inauguration of the complete corridor.