It is a scale-up that will change how we look at rail in the region: no longer just about making up ground, but being in the running. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw put it out there – 60 of the latest model trains are coming to the network in half a decade. And if the proposed corridor from Delhi to Siliguri goes ahead, you can make the trip to North Bengal in a matter of six hours.
Vaishnaw called it a case of the double-engine government putting its foot down. A full-scale overhaul of the Kolkata Metro is what he has in mind. He was on the system himself this past Saturday to see what is being done with his own eyes.
Kolkata Metro: upgrade plan and timelines
The 60 rakes of next-gen stock are the linchpin of the plan, according to the minister. It is a way to give the whole system a once-over, so when the new lines open, you have the reliability and headroom to back them up.
He made a point of the numbers to show how far they have come. In 42 years, you only put in 28 km of the network, he said. Since 2014 and the start of the Modi premiership, that figure is 45 km.
High-speed corridor to Siliguri
But it is not all about the metro. Vaishnaw has put forward a bullet train for the state. The idea is to run a line from Delhi to Siliguri, stopping in Lucknow, Varanasi and Patna, and do it in six hours flat.
Put simply, it would put North Bengal on the national high-speed map. With the way the corridor is drawn up, it is as much about long-distance travel between regions as it is anything else.
Funding shift and project clearances
There is a lot more central backing now than before. Vaishnaw pointed to the figures: under the UPA, West Bengal got Rs 4,000 crore. Under the current government, that is up to Rs 14,205 crore.
Some of the old projects were left in limbo, he claims, over permissions the former state government didn’t get around to, or even let go to court. Now that the process is being put in order, he is counting on things to move again.
Here is what came out of the briefing on Saturday:
– 60 next-generation metro trains in five years
– Delhi-Siliguri bullet train in six hours
– Funding up to Rs 14,205 crore from Rs 4,000 crore
– 45 km of metro put in since 2014, after 28 km in 42 years
Freight and long-distance upgrades
This is not just for the city. The East-West Dedicated Freight Corridor is set to link Dankuni with Surat, which is a key piece for moving goods from the eastern side to the industrial centres in the west.
Electrification is done, and you can expect more trains and stations in due course. The minister was also quick to mention that West Bengal has been first in line for the Vande Bharat Sleeper and Amrit Bharat, ahead of most other states.
What to watch next
Vaishnaw has been in touch with MLAs in the state to find out what they need, so there is a list of works to be had. For now, the Railway Ministry is on to shoring up the infrastructure here in West Bengal.
You have to see it as a two-pronged approach: 60 new trains for the Metro and then opening up the rest of the state with high-speed and freight options. If they deliver on it, the kind of piecemeal changes of the past will be a thing of the past.
