Blue Line (Kolkata Metro)

Blue Line, also known as North–South Metro, is a rapid transit metro line of the Kolkata Metro in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. It consists of 26 operational stations from Dakshineswar to Kavi Subhash, out of which 9 of the stations are elevated, 2 are at-grade and the remaining 15 are underground. With a total distance of 32.13 km (19.96 mi), the line connects Dakshineswar and New Garia and uses 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) broad gauge tracks. This line was the first underground railway to be built in India, with the first operations commencing in October 1984 and the full stretch that was initially planned being operational by February 1995. On 28 December 2010, Kolkata Metro became the 17th zone of the Indian Railways.^[2] Being the country's first, and a completely indigenous process, the construction of the Kolkata Metro Blue Line was more of a trial-and-error affair, in contrast to the Delhi Metro, which has seen the involvement of numerous international consultants. As a result, it took nearly 23 years to completely construct around 15 km (9.3 mi) underground railway from Birpara up to Tollygunge.

Blue Line
Overview
Status	Operational
Owner	Indian Railways
Locale	Kolkata metropolitan region, India
Termini	Dakshineswar (North) Kavi Subhash (South)
Connecting lines	Green Line Purple Line Yellow Line Pink Line Orange Line
Stations	26
Website	Indian Railways
Service
Type	Rapid transit
System	Kolkata Metro
Operator(s)	Metro Railway, Kolkata
Depot(s)	Noapara Depot New Garia Depot Tollygunge Depot
Rolling stock	ICF BHEL ICF MEDHA CRRC Dalian
Daily ridership	600,000 - 650,000 (Weekdays) 380,000 (Weekends)
Ridership	176.9 Million (Yearly)[1]
History
Opened	24 October 1984; 40 years ago (1984-10-24)
Last extension	22 February 2021; 3 years ago (2021-02-22)
Technical
Line length	32.13 km (19.96 mi)
Number of tracks	2
Character	underground, at-grade and elevated
Track gauge	5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) broad gauge
Electrification	750 V DC third rail
Operating speed	55 km/h (34 mph) (in service)
Signalling	TPWS signalling (upgrading to CBTC signalling)
Route map Legend Chord link Line to Dankuni Dakshineswar Pink Line to Barrackpore Baranagar Eastern Line to Ranaghat Noapara depot Noapara Keshtopur Canal Yellow Line to Barasat Eastern Line to Bongaon Dum Dum Belgachia Circular Line & Sealdah South Circular Canal Shyambazar Sovabazar Sutanuti Girish Park Mahatma Gandhi Road Central Chandni Chowk Green Line ← to Howrah Maidan to Teghoria → Esplanade Park Street Purple Line to Diamond Park Maidan Rabindra Sadan Netaji Bhavan Jatin Das Park Kalighat Tollygunge Rabindra Sarobar Circular Line & Sealdah South Mahanayak Uttam Kumar Tollygunge depot Netaji Masterda Surya Sen Gitanjali Kavi Nazrul Shahid Khudiram Orange Line to Jai Hind Sealdah South to Sealdah Kavi Subhash New Garia depot Sealdah South to Namkhana

It connects Green Line at Esplanade and Orange at Kavi Subhash, and will eventually connect Purple Line at Esplanade and Park Street, Yellow Line at Noapara and Pink Line at Baranagar. Public transport experts have suggested that the line be extended from Dakshineswar to Bally (where it can connect with Howrah Division of Kolkata Suburban Railway) and eventually to Dankuni, an emerging industrial hub of Kolkata metropolitan region.

History

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurating the Noapara-Dakshineswar stretch of Blue Line on February 22, 2021.

The laying of the founding stone was done in 1972, but actual construction of Blue Line started only in 1978. Blue Line is 31.38 km (19.50 mi) long with 26 stations (see above). Running of the first metro car on the line by 1984 was considered a great engineering challenge. Former railways minister A. B. A. Ghani Khan Chowdhury took a massive effort to perform it. The first section opened between Esplanade & Bhawanipore (now called Netaji Bhawan). First day Metro Railway Kolkata was started by Sri Tapan Kumar Nath and Sri Sanjay Sil. There were no connections of this stretch with the two depots at Dum Dum & Tollygunge (Now called Mahanayak Uttam Kumar). So metro cars had to be put down on the track near Esplanade by crane, by directly digging the road surface. Initially, only four-car trains were run until 1986. There were no magnetic gates or escalators at that time and ordinary revolving gates served as exits. The Metro too operated on only a single line. Two years later, Blue Line extended up to Tollygunge, at the southern end. At the same time, the metro service was extended to the double line. Magnetic tickets and more entry gates were also introduced at that time. The number of compartments in each train was increased to eight.

Metro service was also started from Dum Dum, at the northern end, to Belgachia in parallel with the extension of the line to the south. But this short portion was not popular and the service was closed down to be restarted when the entire stretch along the north–south corridor was completed.

After 1986 many political incidents hampered the construction, and work almost stopped for nearly six years. After restarting work, the Dum Dum to Shyambazar metro service was started in 1994. This portion was served by four-car trains. Two months later, the Esplanade – Chandni Chowk section was opened and Chandni Chowk – Central section opened three months later. The service from Dum Dum to Tollygunge started in 1995, with Mahatma Gandhi Road metro station, opening in 1996. During this time, more magnetic gates and escalators were added and the revolving gates were slowly phased out.

In 2009, a large number of stations on Blue Line were renamed by then Minister of Railways Mamata Banerjee.^[3]

On 22 February 2021, the Noapara – Dakshineswar stretch was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

On 21 July 2024, the entire stretch from Dakshineswar to Kavi Subhash, crossed 1.92 lakh passenger mark for the first time on a single day.^[4]

Timeline

The following dates represent the dates the section opened to the public, not the private inauguration.

History
Extension date	Terminals		Length
24 October 1984	Esplanade	Bhowanipore	3.40 kilometers (2.11 mi)
12 November 1984	Dum Dum	Belgachhia	2.15 kilometers (1.34 mi)
29 April 1986	Bhowanipur (now Netaji Bhavan)	Tollygunge (now Mahanayak Uttam Kumar)	4.24 kilometers (2.63 mi)
13 August 1994	Belgachhia	Shyambazar	1.63 kilometers (1.01 mi)
2 October 1994	Esplanade	Chandni Chowk	0.71 kilometers (0.44 mi)
19 February 1995	Shyambazar	Girish Park	1.92 kilometers (1.19 mi)
19 February 1995	Chandni Chowk	Central	0.60 kilometers (0.37 mi)
27 September 1995	Central	Girish Park	1.80 kilometers (1.12 mi)
22 August 2009	Tollygunge (Mahanayak Uttam Kumar)	Garia Bazar (now Kavi Nazrul)	5.85 kilometers (3.64 mi)
7 October 2010	Garia Bazar (now Kavi Nazrul)	New Garia (now Kavi Subhash)	3.00 kilometers (1.86 mi)
10 July 2013	Dum Dum	Noapara	2.09 kilometers (1.30 mi)
22 February 2021	Noapara	Dakshineswar	4.1 kilometers (2.5 miles)
Total	Dakshineswar	New Garia (now Kavi Subhash)	31.3 kilometers (19.4 mi)

Stations

Main article: List of Kolkata metro stations

The stations of this Line are:

Blue Line
#	Station Name		Location	Phase	Opening	Connections	Layout	Platform Type	Depot	Coordinates	Notes
	English	Bengali
1	Dakshineswar	দক্ষিণেশ্বর	Dakshineswar	7	22nd Feb 2021	Dakshineswar Dakshineswar Bus Stand Alambazar More bus Stop Ma Bhabotarini Jetty Ghat	Elevated	Side	Noapara Depot Tollygunge Depot New Garia Depot
2	Baranagar	বরানগর	Baranagar			Pink Line • Baranagar (Planned) ---- Baranagar Road Dunlop Bus Stand				22°37′23″N 88°25′38″E	Also known as Dunlop Crossing[5]
3	Noapara	নোয়াপাড়া	Noapara	6	10 July 2013	Yellow Line • Noapara (U\C) ---- 34C Bus Stand Health More Bus Stop Gharui Paschimpara Bus Stop		Both side & island
4	Dum Dum	দমদম	Dum Dum Junction railway station	1B	12th Nov 1984	Dum Dum Jn Dum Dum Station Bus Stop		Side
5	Belgachia	বেলগাছিয়া	Belgachia			Belgachia Bus Depot Belgachia Metro Bus Stop Belgachia More Bus Stop	Underground	Island
6	Shyambazar	শ্যামবাজার	Shyambazar	3A	15th Feb 1995	Shyambazar Tram Depot Shyambazar Metro Bus Stop Shyambazar 5 Point Bus Stop Shyambazar Bus Stand
7	Shobhabazar Sutanuti	শোভাবাজার সুতানুটি	Shobhabazar			Shobhabazar Metro Bus Stop Jaipuria College Bus Stop
8	Girish Park	গিরিশ পার্ক	Jorasanko			Girish Park Bus Stop					Also known as Jorasanko
9	Mahatma Gandhi Road	মহাত্মা গান্ধী রোড	Burrabazar	3B	27th Sep 1995	Mahajati Sadan Bus Stop Ram Mandir Bus Stop Muhammad Ali Park Bus Stop Muhammad Ali Park Tram Stop					Also known as Mahajati Sadan
10	Central	সেন্ট্রাল	Bowbazar	3A	15th Feb 1995	Central Avenue Bus Stop Central Metro Station Bus Stop School of Tropical Medicine Bus Stop Medical College Bus Stop					Also known as Bowbazar
11	Chandni Chowk	চাঁদনি চক	Chandni Chowk			Chandni Chowk Bus Stop Victoria House Bus Stop		Island
12	Esplanade	এসপ্ল্যানেড	Dharmatala	1A	24th Oct 1984	Purple Line • Esplanade (U\C) Green Line • Esplanade ---- Esplanade Tram Depot Esplanade Bus Terminus (WBTC, CTC, SBSTC, NBSTC)					International Bus Terminus. Also known as Dharmatala / Chowringhee
13	Park Street	পার্ক স্ট্রীট	Park Street			Purple Line • Park Street (U/C) ---- Park Street Bus Stop		Side			Also known as Mother Teresa Sarani
14	Maidan	ময়দান	Maidan			Maidan Bus Stop		Island
15	Rabindra Sadan	রবীন্দ্র সদন	Rabindra Sadan			Exide More Bus Stop Rabindra Sadan Bus Stop Chowringhee Road-Calcutta Club Bus Stop					Also known as Exide
16	Netaji Bhavan	নেতাজি ভবন	Bhawanipore			Netaji Bhawan Bus Stop Jadu Babur Bazar Bus Stop					Also known as Bhawanipore
17	Jatin Das Park	যতীন দাস পার্ক	Hazra Junction	2	29 April 1986	Hazra Bus Stop Jatin Das Park Bus Stop Sujata Sadan Bus Stop					Also known as Hazra
18	Kalighat	কালীঘাট	Kalighat			Rasbehari Crossing Tram Stop Rashbehari Crossing Bus Stop Rashbehari Gurudwara Bus Stop					Also known as Rashbehari
19	Rabindra Sarobar	রবীন্দ্র সরোবর	Rabindra Sarobar			Tollygunge Charu Market Tram Stop Rabindra Sarobar Bus Stop Bhabani Cinema Bus Stop					Also known as Charu Market
20	Mahanayak Uttam Kumar	মহানায়ক উত্তম কুমার	Tollygunge			Tollygunge Tram Depot Tollygunge Bus Depot Tollygunge Tram Depot Bus Stop	At Grade	Both side & island			Also known as Tollygunge
21	Netaji	নেতাজি	Kudghat	4	22nd Aug 2009	Kudghat Bus Stand	Elevated	Side			Also known as Kudghat
22	Masterda Surya Sen	মাস্টারদা সূর্য সেন	Bansdroni			Bansdroni Bus Stand					Also known as Bansdroni
23	Gitanjali	গীতাঞ্জলি	Naktala			Rathtala Bus Stop Naktala Minibus Stand Bunty Cinema Bus Stop					Also known as Naktala
24	Kavi Nazrul	কবি নজরুল	Garia			Garia Metro Bus Stop Garia More Bus Stop Garia Bazar Bus Stop Garia 6 Number Bus Stand Garia 5 Number Bus Stand					Also known as Garia Bazar
25	Shahid Khudiram	শহিদ ক্ষুদিরাম	Briji	5	7th Oct 2010	Khudiram Metro Bus Stop Dhalai Bridge Bus Stop					Also known as Dhalai Bridge
26	Kavi Subhash	কবি সুভাষ	New Garia			Orange Line • Kavi Subhash ---- New Garia New Garia Bus Stand	At Grade				Also known as New Garia

Kolkata Metro rake on the north–south line.

Alignment & interchanges

Dakshineswar, Baranagar, Dum Dum, Park Street, Mahanayak Uttam Kumar, Netaji, Masterda Surya Sen, Gitanjali, Kavi Nazrul, Shahid Khudiram and Kavi Subhash have side platforms; all other stations have island platforms. Central and Noapara are exceptions as they have both platforms on the sides as well as in the centre. Dakshineswar, Baranagar, Dum Dum, Rabindra Sarovar & Kavi Subhash have connections to interchange with Kolkata Suburban Railway. Shyambazar, Mahatma Gandhi Road, Esplanade, Kalighat, Rabindra Sarobar & Mahanayak Uttam Kumar stations have connections to the tram network. EM Bypass can be accessed from the Shahid Khudiram metro station and Kavi Subhash metro station.

Extension up to New Garia (2010)

Mamata Banerjee during her first tenure as the railway minister initiated the project of Tollygunge – Garia metro extension. During her second tenure (2009–2011) she inaugurated the extension, and also introduced new Air Conditioned rakes, manufactured indigenously at the Integral Coach Factory.

The new extension to Garia Bazar in the south opened to the public on 23 August 2009. The Garia Bazar station was named after Kavi Nazrul. A final extension, in the southern end, from Kavi Nazrul (Garia Bazar) to Kavi Subhash (New Garia) was inaugurated on 7 October 2010, bringing the total number of stations to 23. On the same day, two Air-Conditioned rakes were also pressed into service.

Extension up to Noapara (2013) and Dakshineswar (2021)

The line was extended up to Noapara from Dum Dum on 10 July 2013. The line was further extended from Noapara to Dakshineswar (4.1 km) is now complete & operational. It will be met by a metro line from Barrackpore at Baranagar (12.5 km).^[6] Trial runs for this stretch started on 23 December 2020, after delay due to COVID-19 pandemic. The stretch was inaugurated on 22 February 2021 & commercial operations began from the following day.^[7]

The stations on this stretch are :

1. Noapara
2. Baranagar
3. Dakshineswar

Features

Technical features

Rake at Girish Park metro station.

Metro construction is of a very complex nature requiring the application of several new technologies in the fields of civil, electrical, signaling and telecommunication engineering. Indian engineers backed by their own experience and supplemented by their studies abroad adopted advanced technologies in the following fields for the first time in India.

• Cut and cover method of construction using diaphragm walls and sheet piles.
• Use of extensive decking to keep the traffic flowing over the cut while construction is in progress underneath.
• Shield tunneling using compressed air and airlocks.
• Ballastless track using elastic fastenings, rubber pads, epoxy mortar and nylon inserts.
• Air-conditioning and ventilation system for environmental control of stations and tunnels.
• Third Rail current collection system for traction.
• Underground substations with dry-type transformers and SF₆ circuit breakers.
• Tunnel-Train VHF-radio communication system.
• Microprocessor-based train control and supervisory remote control system for substations.
• Automatic ticket vending and checking system.

Salient features

Total route length	32.13 km (19.96 mi)
Stations	26 (15 underground, 2 on the surface and 9 elevated)
Gauge	1,676 mm (5 ft 6.0 in), Indian Broad Gauge
Cars per train	8
Maximum permissible speed	80 km/h (50 mph)
Average speed	30–31 km/h (18.6–19.3 mph)
Voltage	750 V D.C.
Method of current collection	Third Rail
Travel Time: Dakshineswar to Kavi Subhash	62 minutes (approx.)
Headways	Average 10 minutes
Total estimated cost of the project	₹18.25 billion (US$210.9 million) (approx.)
Environment control	Air condtioners are used in all trains.

Proposed Feature and Expansion

Platform Screen Doors (PSDs) are a system of full height/half height motorized sliding doors that provide controlled access to the trains and protect the platform edge. PSD work is proposed for all stations in this line to minimize suicidal cases common in this route. This plan was proposed after the successful utilization of Platform Screen Doors to keep the number of suicidal cases on the Green Line to absolute zero.^[8]

Metro Railway also plans to extend the platform and viaduct of Dakshineswar metro station by ~90 m (300 ft) via erection of two new pillars beyond the current length to facilitate a crossover so that the trains can switch tracks faster in order to increase the frequency of services to the Noapara–Dakshineswar stretch.^[9]

Rolling stock

Main article: Kolkata Metro rolling stock

ICF/BHEL

ICF/MEDHA

ICF/MEDHA rake
MEDHA metro rake at Dakshineswar metro station
In service	2019–present
Manufacturer	Integral Coach Factory and Medha Servo Drives Private Limited
Designer	Integral Coach Factory
Assembly	Chennai,  India
Family name	ICF 4000 series
Number built	18
Number in service	18
Formation	2DTC+4MC+2TC
Design code	MR-40n
Capacity	3,520
Operators	Metro Railway, Kolkata
Depots	Noapara Depot New Garia Depot Joka Depot
Lines served	Blue line Purple Line Orange Line
Specifications
Car length	19.5 m
Width	2.74 m
Height	3.625 m
Doors	Automatic Sliding doors
Maximum speed	90 kmph
Traction motors	204 kW /3 phase
Power output	3264 HP
Acceleration	0.85 m/s2
Deceleration	1.1 m/s2
HVAC	Air conditioned
Current collector(s)	Contact shoe
Bogies	ICF bogie
Braking system(s)	Regenerative braking
Coupling system	Scharfenberg coupler
Seating	Longitudinal facing seats
Track gauge	5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) Indian gauge

CRRC Dalian

CRRC Dalian rake
The first rake at Noapara depot
Manufacturer	CRRC
Assembly	Dalian, China
Number built	16
Number in service	2
Design code	MR-50n
Operators	Metro Railway, Kolkata
Depots	Noapara
Lines served	Blue line
Specifications
Car length	19.5 m
Width	2.74 m
Height	3.65 m
Floor height	1.13 m
Wheel diameter	860 mm
Maximum speed	80 kmph
Axle load	17 tons
Power supply	750 V DC
HVAC	Air conditioned
Electric system(s)	Third rail
Current collector(s)	Contact shoe
Seating	Longitudinal facing seats
Track gauge	5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) Indian gauge
Notes/references
Passenger operation Started on 17th march 2023

There was a need to replace non-AC rakes on Blue line and so during mid 2015 it was announced that Indian Railways for the first time would rope an international train-maker, China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation (CRRC) based in Dalian.^[10] As per the tender, 14 new rakes composed of 8 coaches each will be supplied to Kolkata Metro by CNR Dalian, a subsidiary of CRRC Dalian, which will be running on Blue Line. These rakes will be of ultra-modern technology. They will have doors that will be 20 cm (7.9 in) wider than any other metro rails in India. They will have wide vestibules, 2 feet 6 inches (0.76 m) wider than the existing trains. The design consists of the aerodynamic front with large doors and LED Lights, and violet colored stripe on silver color body. These rakes are capable of a top speed of 80 km/h (50 mph). The first of the 14 rakes from Chinese firm Dalian was slated to arrive by December 2017 but got delayed due to various reasons. The first rake finally arrived in Kolkata on 3 March 2019 on a vessel at Netaji Subhash dock of Kolkata port.^[11] Each of the 8 coaches of the rake weigh nearly 45 tonnes. The rake was unloaded and taken to Noapara Carshed, after which trial runs and inspection would be carried out before commencing operations. Other 13 rakes are ready, but the shipment got delayed due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

These rakes were under performance trials for more than 20 months as serious problems related to performance of the rake were identified during trials. Some of the issues related to insufficient power to climb up the slopes in the tunnels and higher oscillation in the bogie.^[12][13]

On 17 March 2023, the first Dalian rake was inducted into service. Another 3 rakes will arrive soon.

Old fleet

Kolkata Metro Old fleet, Discontinued in 2021

The whole fleet is vestibuled. Carbodies and mechanical components were made by ICF with electrical components made by NGEF, Bangalore. The fleet is unique in that it is the only railroad equipment in India with end-mounted cab doors (except for some of the WAG-6 series locomotives).

ICF has specifically designed, manufactured and supplied these cars for the first underground railway system. The special features incorporated are:

• Traction power supply through third rail current collection system.
• Automatic door opening/closing and continuous monitoring of the transit.
• Automatic Train Stop (ATS) system which will automatically apply the brakes in case of human failure.
• Automatic train operation (ATO) with the driver acting as the train supervisor (optional).
• A public address system is provided on the trains to announce approaching stations. A central dispatcher can contact any of the train crew and also make important announcements directly to passengers over the system.

With all these features, the design and manufacturing process of these cars to a very high standard of reliability and safety has been a challenge. This was achieved without any technical collaboration.

Reservation for women

In 2008, the Kolkata Metro Railway experimented with the practice of reserving two entire compartments for women.^[14]

This system was found to be ineffective and caused inconvenience for a lot of commuters (including women) and the plan was eventually dropped by the metro authority. But a certain section of seats in each of the eight compartments is reserved for women.

Problems with this line

The founder of Delhi Metro, E. Sreedharan said Indian Railways are not experts at urban transport, and misplanned the Kolkata metro from the beginning.^[15] A private company should run the metro and can bring it up to standard in five years.^[15]

Since Kolkata Metro is under Indian Railways, it can't take its own independent decisions. It has to rely on Indian Railways for everything (like rakes etc.). The rakes are ordered directly from ICF without floating any global tenders.

See also

• List of Kolkata metro stations
• Kolkata Metro Rolling Stock
• Trams in Kolkata
• Kolkata Suburban Railway

References

1. Kolkata Metro (1 January 2024). "North-South Metro Carried More Than 17 Crores Passengers in 2023".
2. "Kolkata Metro is now the 17th zone of Indian Railways". The Times of India. 29 December 2010. Archived from the original on 4 November 2012. Retrieved 29 December 2010.
3. "Game of the name".
4. "Kolkata Metro: Dakshineswar-New Garia Blue Line's 80% surge in ridership". Financial Express. 22 July 2024.
5. TNN (3 January 2010). "Mamata paves way for Metro's northern journey". Times of India. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
6. Express News Service (3 January 2010). "Mamata lays foundation for Dum Dum-Dakshineswar Metro". Express India. Retrieved 7 July 2012.
7. Mondal, Biswadeep (23 December 2020). "Metrorail Kolkata conducts first trial run of Kolkata's Dakshineswar Metro". Mint.
8. "Kolkata Metro ने स्टेशन पर सुसाइड रोकने के लिए उठाया ये कदम, सभी प्लेटफॉर्म पर किए जाएंगे खास इंतजाम - Kolkata Metro decision Automatic screen doors will be installed on Platform to Prevent Suicide". Jagran (in Hindi). Retrieved 29 August 2023.
9. "Metro Rly Seeks Land For Platform Extension". The Times of India.
10. Basak, Probal (20 June 2015). "Modern Chinese rakes for Kolkata Metro". Business Standard India. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
11. "Metro rake from China off vessel". www.telegraphindia.com. Archived from the original on 6 March 2019. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
12. "印度加尔各答地铁车辆_产品中心_城轨_大连公司". www.crrcgc.cc. Archived from the original on 12 August 2019. Retrieved 12 August 2019.
13. Gupta, Jayanta (25 June 2020). "Kolkata: With Chinese signal system deal off the table, fate of 13 Dalian Metro rakes hangs in balance". The Times of India. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
14. "Life in a ladies' Metro". www.telegraphindia.com. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
15. "DMRC MD E Sreedharan says many Indian cities need metro rail urgently – Business Today". Businesstoday.intoday.in. 9 January 2012. Retrieved 7 July 2012.

External links

• Old Official Website for Blue Line
• New Official Website for all lines