On 15th May, Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced the resumption of the long-delayed construction of the Chingri Ghat section of the Kolkata Metro Orange Line. A 366-metre stretch of the Orange Line Metro corridor was stalled for years under the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government until the BJP came to power earlier this month and decided to resume the project.
“The government in West Bengal has changed. A double-engine government has come to power. The problem of Chingri Ghat, stuck for three years, has been resolved. Permission has also been obtained from the Kolkata Police. Now the work is starting,” Minister Vaishnaw wrote on X, in Bangla.
পশ্চিমবঙ্গে সরকার পরিবর্তন হয়েছে।
— Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) May 15, 2026
ডাবল ইঞ্জিন সরকার এসেছে।
তিন বছর ধরে আটকে থাকা চিংড়িঘাটার সমস্যার সমাধান হয়েছে। কলকাতা পুলিশেরও অনুমতি পাওয়া গেছে। এবার কাজ শুরু হচ্ছে। pic.twitter.com/5CSz5z4np6
Located along the busy EM Bypass corridor, this stalled stretch was a major hurdle in the completion of the New Garia-Airport Metro route. Legal obstacles, lack of cooperation by the TMC government, and traffic management issues exacerbated the delay.
Earlier, the Calcutta High Court had set 15th February 2026 as the deadline for the completion of the Kolkata Metro Orange Line. However, the order was challenged by the Mamata government in the Supreme Court, citing the non-feasibility of implementing night-time traffic blocks during major events.
However, after the BJP came to power, the project is set to regain pace as infrastructure development remains the party’s top priority. Two girders are to be installed between pillars 317, 318 and 319 of the Chingrighata Metro. These two girders need to be installed on the bypass, and therefore, traffic needs to be blocked in the area.
To facilitate construction, Kolkata Police today announced a series of traffic diversions and partial road closures near Chingrighata. Vehicles will be diverted during this time so that the girders can be launched. The Metro authorities announced on Thursday that the work would start from 8 pm on Friday. Metro Rail Chief Public Relations Officer SS Kannan said that the approval for the blockade has been received from the state government.
A few days ago, the Supreme Court directed the State and Metro authorities to hold discussions and resolve the issues standing in the way of completing the unfinished Metro project. The completion of this work will significantly benefit public transportation and resolve commuting difficulties for a vast number of people.
Following the change of government in the state, work on the remaining section of the Chingrighata Metro is set to commence. Kannan stated, “We are optimistic that the Metro work connecting Beleghata to the IT Center will be completed within the stipulated timeframe. We have set a target to launch services by December 26.”
