KOLKATA: Union minister Smriti Irani is scheduled to visit Howrah Maidan, the terminal station of East-West Metro, on Monday. Sources said the minister might remotely launch the Sealdah station, the seventh station of E-W Metro, at 5pm that day. Commercial runs are likely to start on Thursday, they added.
On Friday, officials of Metro Railway and East-West Metro's implementing agency, KMRC, received instructions to prepare for Monday's inauguration.
Recently, Irani has taken over the ministry of minority affairs, in addition to her existing portfolio of minister for women and child development. Usually, a Metro line is launched by the railway minister. Sources said the Railway Board may be looking for a low-key inauguration of the Sealdah station because of the May 11 subsidence at the East-West Metro construction site in Bowbazar, in which several buildings were damaged.
Over the last few months, the city has been waiting for the launch of Sealdah station. East-West Metro now runs a truncated 6.6km service from Sector V to Phoolbagan with six stations. On March 24, Sealdah station and an added 2.3km were approved by the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS).
