Metro services set to reach more cities in West Bengal! A major metro expansion is on the horizon for West Bengal, with the state government planning to take metro rail services beyond Kolkata for the first time.

Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, while speaking to the media on Tuesday, announced plans to develop metro rail projects in Asansol, Durgapur, Siliguri and Jalpaiguri. Adhikari said the state will ask the Chief Secretary to prepare detailed metro rail proposals for the metro projects. 

These new metro projects are aimed at improving connectivity and providing better public transport in these fast-growing cities. 

Why Asansol, Durgapur, Siliguri & Jalpaiguri need metro services ? 

Asansol, Durgapur, Siliguri and Jalpaiguri are among West Bengal’s fastest-growing cities. While places like New Jalpaiguri are connected to other parts of the country through trains such as the recently launched Nagercoil–New Jalpaiguri Amrit Bharat Express and Amritsar–New Jalpaiguri Amrit Bharat Express, there is still no metro network for faster travel within these cities.

The proposed metro projects are expected to fill this gap by improving daily connectivity, reducing travel time and offering a faster and more reliable public transport option for residents.

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State to explore funding options

The Chief Minister said the state government plans to explore funding support from institutions such as the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

The state will approach these agencies while preparing the proposal for the projects. Adhikari said the government wants to follow a funding model similar to metro projects developed in several other states.

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Railways to continue managing Kolkata Metro

Adhikari also clarified that the Kolkata Metro will continue to remain under the Railway Ministry. He said the Railways will be responsible for maintaining and expanding the existing Kolkata Metro network, while the state government will extend the necessary support.