Line 6 of the Kolkata Metro is an under-construction rapid transit line that will connect New Garia with Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport via two satellite towns Salt Lake and New Town. There will be total of 24 stations. The line is targeted to open from Kavi Subhash to Hemanta Mukherjee in 2021. This stretch will be one the most important stretches of metro because it will connect the southern and the eastern parts of the city with Kolkata Airport. Total distance of this route will be 29.87 km.
History
This project was sanctioned in the budget of 2010-11 by Mamata Banerjee with a project deadline of six years. The execution of this project has been entrusted to RVNL at a cost of Rs 3951.98 crore. It will help to reduce travel time between the southern fringes of Kolkata to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport and will have 23 elevated stations, 1 underground station and 1 at-grade. The terminal Airport station being the underground one. Work for construction of the terminal station at New Garia for the 32-km Kavi Subhash-Airport Metro project finally resumed on 14 February 2017 with Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd demarcating the plot they require for the purpose. The work has been delayed for years due to multiple issues. At first AAI objected the station above the ground, stating that this could be a threat for air traffic. Many underground utilities, power sub-station and water treatment plant had to be shifted. Encroachments and Land acquisition problems held up the project for multiple times. The 5 km stretch from New Garia to Ruby Hospital was expected to start from 2018. On 12 February 2018 Mr Ajay Vijayvargiya, General Manager Metro Railways announced a delay in inauguration of New Garia to Ruby stretch.
Stations
The stations, as declared of now, will be named after eminent personalities. and will have 23 elevated stations, 1 underground station and 1 at-grade. The terminal Airport station will be the underground one. This station will also have a yard and it will be the largest underground facility of India and city's first. It will be 550m long and 41.6m wide and will facilitate stabling and reversal of rakes, but it will not be a carshed. One can interchange to Line 4 at Dum Dum Airport, Line 2 at VIP Road and Salt Lake Sector V and Line 1 at Kavi Subhash. At Kavi Subhash, Rail Interchange will be also available.
