The Orange Line’s Beleghata-to-Sector V segment will begin test runs on October 10. This stretch is part of the full Kavi Subhash–Airport route, which is under construction by Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL).
RVNL aims to launch regular passenger services on this segment by late December, pending successful trial runs and necessary approvals. Testing could last a month or more, as officials verify software adjustments, system coordination, and other operational readiness checks before allowing public travel.
Construction Progress
One major challenge in building this extension was overcoming the 366-meter gap between Chingrighata and Sukantanagar. RVNL has now finished constructing the viaduct across this area by assembling steel girders and installing the tracks.
Road closures were organized at Chingrighata over consecutive weekends in May and at Sukantanagar in June to allow construction crews to work. The Chingrighata section had long been a critical unfinished piece of the Orange Line’s infrastructure.
The final 31-meter concrete slab was installed in August, finally bridging the viaduct after over six years of delays. The main girder installation also took place during two May weekends, with traffic rerouted through a temporary road built for the project.
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Project Timeline
Currently, the Orange Line runs for over 9 kilometers between Kavi Subhash and Beleghata. When Sector V opens, the route will extend beyond 14 kilometers, adding three new stops: Gour Kishore Ghosh, Nalban, and Sector V.
Metro Railway’s existing records show that the Orange Line has already been opened in stages. The Kavi Subhash-Hemanta Mukhopadhyay section, covering around 5.4 km, was opened for passenger services in March 2024, followed by the Hemanta Mukhopadhyay-Beleghata extension of around 4.39 km in August 2025.
The entire Kavi Subhash–Airport corridor is designed to span over 32 kilometers. Approved in 2010, the project is being built in five stages. The next phase, from Sector V to City Centre II, is scheduled for completion by June 2027.
This extension will enhance travel options for workers heading to IT and business hubs near Salt Lake and New Town. Right now, most commuters between these zones and southern Kolkata rely on road transport.
Now that the Chingrighata viaduct is complete, the focus has shifted from building to testing the Sector V section. This removes a long-standing obstacle, enabling trains to run beyond Beleghata for the first time.
