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Transport in Kolkata

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Transport in Kolkata
Vidyasagar Setu, Connecting Kolkata & Howrah
An air-conditioned WBTC city bus
The iconic Yellow Taxi of Kolkata
A Tram standing in traffic
A Ferry Vessel in Hooghly River during Sunset
A Kolkata Metro rake under Hooghly River on Green Line
A Local Train of Kolkata Suburban Railway
The Sealdah railway station, biggest transportation hub in the city
Overview
Owner
Area servedKolkata Metropolitan Region,  India
LocaleKolkata, West Bengal, India
Transit type
Operation
Operator(s)
System map

Kolkata the Capital of the Indian state of West Bengal has a good transportation system. Kolkata's transport system is diverse, with a mix of modern and traditional modes of transport catering to the city's large population.[1]

The primary modes include:

  • Buses:- Both government and privately operated buses are there
  • Kolkata Suburban Railway:- The suburban train network connects Kolkata with surrounding areas like Howrah, Sealdah, and other suburbs, handling large volumes of daily commuters.
  • Kolkata Metro:- The Kolkata Metro, India's first underground metro system, plays a vital role in reducing traffic congestion.
  • Trams:- Kolkata is the only Indian city with a functioning tram network, operated by Calcutta Tramways Company. Though slow, trams are iconic and still run in certain parts of the city.
  • Taxis and Auto-rickshaws:- Yellow taxis are icon of Kolkata ,along with app-based taxi services like Uber and Ola. Auto-rickshaws also operate on shared and individual routes.
  • Ferries:- The Hooghly Riveris used for ferry services, offering an alternative mode of transport between Kolkata and its twin city, Howrah.


Kolkata’s transport infrastructure is continually evolving, with the metro expansions aimed at addressing the growing demand for public transport.

Roads

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Main article: List of roads in Kolkata
Traffic Of Kolkata

Major roads in Kolkata city

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Major North-South corridors in Kolkata (city proper) are:

A number of East-West corridors works as connectors between the roads:

Bridges

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Howrah Bridge (also known as Rabindra Setu) and Vidyasagar Setu (also known as Second Hooghly Bridge) are two bridges connecting Kolkata with Howrah over the Ganges. Bally Bridge (also known as Vivekandanda Setu) is the third bridge over the river at the northern reach of the city near Dakshineswar from Howrah.It is a road cum rail bridge.[2] The fourth and the newest one is Nivedita Setu which is a toll bridge beside Vivekananda Setu.[3]

Major roads in KMA

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Since Kolkata suffers from traffic congestion like other Indian cities, a network of expressways like Kona Expressway, Kalyani Expressway, Belghoria Expressway, flyovers and widening of southern stretch of Eastern Metropolitan Bypass are being created to ease up road traffic. Maa Flyover is an important flyover in Kolkata.

A large network of roads are spread over in Kolkata which helps to reduce traffic congestion. Elevated roads are present in New Town and Rajarhat area of Kolkata. Kolkata is connected to other parts of India by the National Highways 2, 6, 34, and 117. The Belghoria Expressway connects NH 34 with NH 2 and 6 via the Nivedita Setu while the NH 117 is connected to NH 6 by the Kona Expressway via the Vidyasagar Setu.[4]

Railways

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Main article: Kolkata suburban railway
SER Local Trains
ER Local Trains

Kolkata is well-connected to the rest of India by an extensive railway network of the Indian railways. Two divisions of the Indian railways - the Eastern Railway and the South Eastern Railway - are headquartered in the city. A total of five railway stations serve Kolkata. The two major railway stations of the city are at Howrah and Sealdah. The third station is called Kolkata has recently been constructed. This station is in North Kolkata and can be reached by a road opposite to the Radha Gobinda Kar Medical College & Hospital just beyond Shyambazar. International trains such as Maitree Express and Bandhan Express depart from Kolkata Station. The fourth station is Santragachi Junction which operates weekly and bi-weekly express trains to ease pressure on Howrah junction. The fifth station is named Shalimar Railway Station which used to be a goods yard has been transformed into a station from where mail and express trains operate. Nowadays the Dankuni Station is being given importance and many long route trains stop at this station.

The electrified suburban rail network of the SER and the ER is extensive and stretches far into the neighboring districts of North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, Howrah, Hooghly, Nadia, East Medinipur, West Medinipur and parts of East Barddhaman. The Kolkata Suburban Railway is the largest suburban railway system in India with 1501 km route length.[5]

The Circular Rail encircles the entire city of Kolkata, starting and terminating at Dum Dum Junction. However, the poorly-patronized branch line between Dum Dum Cantonment railway station and Biman Bandar railway station is now replaced by Line 4 (under construction) of the Kolkata Metro.[6]

Rapid transit

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Main article: Kolkata Metro
AC Metro Rake of Blue Line

Kolkata was the first city in South Asia to have an underground railway system that started operating in 1984. Kolkata Metro is the only metro system in India owned by the Indian Railways. It is operated by 2 subsidiaries of Indian Railways, the Metro Railway, Kolkata and Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation.

Kolkata Metro Line 3 viaduct along the Diamond Harbour Road

Kolkata Metro Line 1 (Blue Line) is under the administration of Metro Railway, Kolkata. It has the status of a Zonal Railway and is directly run by the Indian Railways. Kolkata Metro Line 1 is the oldest operating metro system in India which started operation in 1984. This metro system consists of elevated, at-grade and underground tracks.

Kolkata Metro Line 2 (Green Line) is under the administration of Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation. Green Line is going to have India's first underwater metro system.

Lines which are operational are:

Kolkata Metro Line 1 (North-South Metro) begins at Dakshineswar in the north and continues south through Esplanade in the heart of the city until the southern end in New Garia. Blue Line is mostly underground with few elevated portions. The Blue Line is the oldest metro line in India, inaugurated in 1984.

Kolkata Metro Line 2 (East-West Metro) is currently operational between Sector 5 and Sealdah. Phase 2 from Sealdah to Howrah Maidan is under construction and is completely underground. This phase 2 of the Green Line will cross through the Hooghly River, becoming India's first underwater metro system. In July 2022, the Sealdah Metro Station was inaugurated and currently the line extends from Bidhannagar Sector 5 To Sealdah. The next portion which will be inaugurated will be from Sealdah to Howrah Maidan via Esplanade.

Kolkata Metro Line 3, the Purple Line currently runs from Joka to Majerhat with trains running at a frequency of 40 minutes. The current stretch was inaugurated on 30 December 2022 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The section from Taratala to Esplanade is currently under various stages of construction.[7]

Other lines being constructed are:

Some extensions are also planned.

Trains run at a frequency of every 5 minutes (Peak Hours) to 15 minutes (Non-Peak Hours) from 6:55 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. from Monday to Saturday and from 09:50 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. on Sunday. Fares range between ₹5 and ₹30. The Kolkata Metro has commendable service, affordable ticket prices, clean stations and safety.

Buses

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For more about the buses, see West Bengal Transport Corporation.

Kolkata despite not having any Rapid Bus Transit System has an extensive network of government run and privately run buses. Private buses in Kolkata and other parts of West Bengal do not have a card system. One has to buy tickets after boarding the bus. However, WBTC run buses do accept 'West Bengal Transport Cards'. The bus tickets are simple paper tickets purchased from the bus conductor. The government buses were previously run by Calcutta State Transport Corporation, Calcutta Tramways Company, West Bengal Surface Transport Corporation, North Bengal State Transport Corporation and South Bengal State Transport Corporation. In the year 2016, the first three government bus companies merged and formed West Bengal Transport Corporation. The government buses are generally painted either blue color with white stripes or white color with blue stripes. This buses are identified by the WBTC symbol on the front windscreen and on their body. Both the name of the destination place as well as the name of the originating place is mentioned on the front of the bus either digitally [LED Board] or written [White Board].The fleet consist of Ashok Leyland JanBus, Tata Motors Marcopolo Bus, and Volvo 8400 buses and Eicher Starline buses. Air-conditioned buses have been introduced in the year 2009 under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) and are operated by WBTC.

Taxis

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AC White Taxi With Non AC Yellow Taxi

Taxis are a very important aspect of Kolkata. In Kolkata only four people are allowed in a taxi. The metered-cabs are mostly of the brand Ambassador. Once in a while, Tata Indigo CS can be seen painted in yellow. They are not for middle class and poor people as their rates are too high. One has to pay an addition of Rs. 30 apart from the price shown on the meter.[8] These vintage yellow taxis are there for a long time now.[9] They are non air conditioned. Many people use them as their main mode of transportation. From December 2013,under Gatidhara Scheme Of Government Of West Bengal, a new fleet of no-refusal taxis had started to ply.[10][11]

Trams

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Main article: Trams in Kolkata
Tram in Kolkata

Kolkata is the only city in India to have a tram network. Trams are under the administration of the Calcutta Tramways Company, a government of West Bengal Undertaking, popularly called CTC (now merged with West Bengal Transport Corporation).

Small distance vehicles

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Hand-pulled Rickshaw

Rickshaws pulled by men are common in Kolkata and West Bengal . Many migrants from Bihar and rural West Bengal are involved in rickshaw pulling. Nowadays except for some parts of Kolkata all the hand pulled rickshaws have been replaced by cycle rickshaws. Fares are usually set by the rickshaw unions. These rickshaws usually operate over short distances due to the manual effort involved, and mainly run on narrow lanes where buses and auto-rickshaws don't ply. These rickshaws are not allowed to ply over main roads of Kolkata. Hand pulled rickshaws are mainly found in some old localities of North Kolkata and South Kolkata. Moreover, cycle rickshaws are also now being replaced by E-Rickshaw. They also ply on narrow lanes and not allowed to ply over main roads.[12][13]

Auto-rickshaws have become a very common mode of transport for short distances. They are usually not metered, and are usually shared. There are several routes, and the auto-rickshaws of a particular route ply between two distinct places of that route only. Colloquially called autos, they usually accommodate three people in the backseat, and one passenger in front beside the driver. The fares are usually quite low compared to other metro cities like Delhi and Mumbai, the minimum fare being Rs10. Unlike other metros, the auto rickshaws do not run on a fare meter. The auto rickshaws are not allowed in major arterial roads and certain part of the city.

Many suburban parts of Kolkata have e-rickshaws running on battery. The minimum fare is Rs.10. Colloquially called "totos", they usually accommodate around 4 people with 2 opposite facing seats. Totos are very popular mode of transport in suburban parts of Kolkata and rural West Bengal. They are considered new and cleaner mode of public transport as they run on electricity.[14][15]

Airport

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See also: Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport
Kolkata Airport Terminal 2

The Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport (also known as Kolkata Airport/Dum Dum Airport) at Dum Dum is the only airport in Kolkata Metropolitan Area, operating both domestic and international flights. It is an important airport connecting Kolkata to different cities of India and neighboring countries of Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh. Kolkata Airport ranks fifth in the list of the busiest airports in India.[16][17] The number of people using the airport has consistently increased over the last few years. There is a flying club in Behala which has been restored after several years of inactivity.[18] It is the oldest flying institute on the country.[19]

Water transport

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See also: Kolkata Port Trust
Ferry between Kolkata and Howrah

Kolkata is a major riverine port and together with Haldia deep water port, the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port Trust (formerly Kolkata Port Trust) has been ranked 6th in India. The port has regular passenger services to Port Blair.[20]Ferry services between Kolkata - Howrah and Kolkata - Sagar Island are available. This ferry services are provided from various ghats like Fairlie Ghat, Howrah Ghat, Shibpur Ghat, Prinsep Ghat, Babughat and Cossipore Ghat. [21][22]

References

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  1. ^ "ctc History". 27 September 2013. Archived from the original on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  2. ^ Singh, Akash (29 August 2018). "These Beautiful Bridges Magnify The Beauty Of Kolkata". www.nativeplanet.com. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  3. ^ "'Nivedita Setu operating at 45% capacity'". The Times of India. 19 September 2017. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  4. ^ "A ride down Kona Expressway". Telegraph India. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  5. ^ "Ranaghat to Lalgola EMU Service".
  6. ^ "Services End on Kolkata's Circular Railway".
  7. ^ "Kolkata Metro to double services on Joka-Taratala stretch from THIS day, Details here". Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  8. ^ "Indigo fleet to take on Amby taxis in city". The Times of India. 28 August 2009. Archived from the original on 11 April 2013. Retrieved 11 February 2013.
  9. ^ "Kolkata Yellow Taxi: অ্যাপক্যাব ঢেকেছে কলকাতা! আধুনিকতার ছোঁয়ায় হারিয়েছে তিলোত্তমার কালো-হলুদ রূপকথা". The Bengali Chronicle (in Bengali). 2 August 2022. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  10. ^ "Times of India article covering introduction of no-refusal taxis in Kolkata". Retrieved 22 September 2019.
  11. ^ "Rejoice Kolkata, new fleet of no-refusal cabs to be launched soon". FirstPost. 22 August 2013. Retrieved 22 September 2019.
  12. ^ "The last rickshaws of Kolkata – in pictures". The Guardian. 14 September 2019. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  13. ^ "130 years of Kolkata's hand-pulled rickshaws: A brief history of the City of Joy's most recognisable symbols". Firstpost. 24 April 2018. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  14. ^ Krishnendu Bandyopadhyay (12 May 2016). "Fringe benefits: Totos to be new autos in Kolkata". The Times of India. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  15. ^ "'Invention of Toto a stellar achievement'". The Times of India. 2 January 2016. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  16. ^ "Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport - a clean and green facility in Kolkata". The Economic Times. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  17. ^ "Kolkata airport cleanest among eight busiest AAI facilities". The Times of India. 22 February 2020. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  18. ^ "West Bengal: Chartered chopper services launched from Behala". Firstpost. 21 May 2014. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  19. ^ Subhro Niyogi (30 November 2011). "Flight school grounded for decades". The Times of India. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  20. ^ "Crew stopped from deboarding ships at Kolkata port amid corona". Outlook India. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  21. ^ "New bridge over Kestopur canal to connect Salt Lake, New Town". The Times of India. 1 March 2020. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  22. ^ Suman Chakraborti (17 May 2018). "Hooghly water to keep Kestopur canal flowing". The Times of India. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
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