Kolkata, Oct 10 (PTI) Trial runs on the Beleghata-IT Centre section of Kolkata Metro’s Orange Line began on Saturday, in a milestone for the city’s public transport infrastructure, after construction on the section remained stalled for months amid a stalemate between the Centre and the previous TMC government over police clearance.
After the BJP came to power in the state in May, police granted clearance for the construction work at the busy Chingrighata Crossing, which was completed over weekends in phases.
“A major milestone for Metro Railway Kolkata! The first trial run on Beleghata – IT Centre section of the Orange Line was successfully conducted today, marking the commencement of CBTC system trials,” Kolkata Metro said in a social media post.
The section, once operational, will connect the IT hub of Salt Lake Sector V with Garia on the city’s southern fringes, easing the commute for thousands of office-goers who spend at least 1.5 hours travelling by road during peak hours.
The 3.5-km extension will also bring the Orange Line closer to the satellite township of New Town, with the corridor eventually extending to the airport.
The first trial run, held on the occasion of Mahalaya, also marked the beginning of testing of the Communication-Based Train Control (CBTC) system, an advanced signalling technology designed to regulate train movements and improve operational efficiency.
The 32-km Orange Line currently operates between Kavi Subhash and Beleghata. The Kavi Subhash-Hemanta Mukhopadhyay section was commissioned in March 2024, while passenger services on the Hemanta Mukhopadhyay-Beleghata stretch began in August 2025. PTI SUS SOM
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