Kolkata Monorail
Overview
LocaleKolkata Metropolitan Area
Transit typeStraddle-beam Monorail

Kolkata Monorail was a rail-based transit project planned for the city of Kolkata, West Bengal, India. This was the first proposed monorail in the country.[1][2][3][4]

History

2004 & 2008

The initial plan regarding the monorail was floated in 2004.[5][6] In November that 2008, the first corridor (Budge Budge to Taratala) was finalised and the project was awarded to Andromeda Technologies, at a total cost of Rs. 1,200 crore, along with a German company, Derap AG & Helbling Technik AG and Fernmeldewerk Munchen Aubing, as technology and signalling partners, respectively.[7] It was a build-own-operate public-private partnership model between Government of West Bengal and Andromeda Technologies Pvt. Ltd. The coaches were supposed to be initially imported from Germany, and later locally produced at Titagarh Wagons, Jessop and Texmaco.[1] It was targeted that the phase 1 corridor would be operational by the next 4–5 years. The 2nd phase was a 52 km long route from Taratala to Rajarhat.[7] But, the project was put on hold, due to lack of support from financial institution and unfavourable conditions, and Andromeda Technologies pulled out from it. The sanction of Kolkata Metro Line 6 in 2010-11 Railway Budget, led to the end of the monorail corridor, since both had almost the same alignment.[8][3]

2014

Scomi Engineering, expressed its intention to develop monorail system in the city, especially in New Town, with a budget of Rs. 2000-2500 crore.[9]

2016

In 2016, the plan was revived. A 70 km corridor from Budge Budge to Ruby on EM Bypass, via Budge Budge Trunk Road, New Alipore and Prince Anwar Shah Road, was proposed, to connect parts South 24 Parganas with the Kolkata Metro Line 6.[10] The state industry promotion and development board approved the proposal submitted by Burn Standard. Thus, Burn Standard was the implementation agency of the project in PPP model with Government of West Bengal, at a cost of Rs. 4,216 crore. The Physical construction was planned to begin by March 2017 with a 3-year deadline.[6][4][11] The project again came to a halt after few years.

2018

West Bengal Housing & Infrastructure Development Corporation in October 2018 proposed monorail for New Town, the fast-growing planned satellite city of Kolkata and Salt Lake, another planned city adjacent to New Town. The feasibility study was conducted and cost evaluation of the project was done. The line would start at Ultandanga, and pass via Salt Lake Sector I & III and would end at New Town, thus connecting Kolkata Metro Line 2 and Kolkata Metro Line 6. The total cost of project was estimated at Rs. 4500 crore.[12][13][14]

Current status

Again in 2020, Braithwaite & Co., started talks with Government of West Bengal to set up monorail in the state. It is planned to run between Sealdah and Titagarh. The corridor is still in planning stage.[15] In February 2020, New Town Kolkata Development Authority (NKDA) shelved the monorail proposal in and around New Town, and preferred to opt for a cheaper ropeway system.[16]

Corridors

Year 2006 2014 2016 2018 2020
Phase 1 2
Corridor Budge Budge – Taratala Taratala – Rajarhat NewTown Budge Budge – Ruby Ultadanga – New Town Sealdah – Titagarh
Length 20 kilometres (12 mi) 52 kilometres (32 mi) – 70 kilometres (43 mi) 15 kilometres (9.3 mi)^ 20 kilometres (12 mi)^
Status Proposed Scrapped Scrapped Proposed Scrapped Proposed

^ : Approximate Length

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Indias first monorail to come up in Kolkata". The Financial Express. 22 November 2008. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  2. ^ "Kolkata monorail project likely to begin from March". The Indian Express. 22 November 2008. Archived from the original on 22 January 2011. Retrieved 11 August 2010.
  3. ^ a b "Kolkata Monorail mass transit system to be operational by mid-2011". India Automotive. 22 November 2008. Archived from the original on 28 January 2010. Retrieved 11 August 2010.
  4. ^ a b "Bengal turns to Burn Standard for Kolkata monorail project". Business Standard. 29 September 2016. Archived from the original on 4 May 2018. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  5. ^ "Kolkata on a high: state seals Monorail MoU". The Indian Express. Retrieved 31 August 2012.
  6. ^ a b 29 September 2016. "Light at end of tunnel for Kolkata's monorail project". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 3 October 2016. Retrieved 5 May 2020.((cite web)): CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  7. ^ a b "Construction of first stretch of monorail to start in March". oneindia.com. 21 November 2008. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  8. ^ "Rail set to take over East-West - jjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjj". The Telegraph. Kolkota. Archived from the original on 23 June 2019. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  9. ^ "Monorail giant eyes Newtown project". 21 August 2014. Archived from the original on 12 August 2019. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  10. ^ "Kolkata to get its own monorail". Hindustan Times. 29 September 2016. Archived from the original on 27 July 2017. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  11. ^ Kundu, Indrajit (29 September 2016). "Kolkata to get its own monorail service, CM Mamata says will soon sign MoU". India Today. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  12. ^ "HIDCO explores options for starting monorail services in Salt lake, New Town". millenniumpost.in. 4 October 2018. Archived from the original on 18 December 2019. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  13. ^ "HIDCO, exploring options for monorail services". United News of India. 27 October 2018. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  14. ^ "India Smart City Mission" (PDF). smartcities.gov.in/. Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 July 2017. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  15. ^ "Monorail services to be introduced in Bengal soon". millenniumpost.in. 31 January 2020. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  16. ^ "Soon, ropeway services to connect areas in New Town". millenniumpost.in. 7 February 2020. Retrieved 5 May 2020.

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