Railways Minister Piyush Goyal Sunday inaugurated Phoolbagan Metro station in Kolkata. The total estimated project cost is Rs 8574.98 Cr and its total length is 16.5 kms.

The project will connect Howrah on the West bank of the river Hooghly with Salt Lake City on its East bank. The first-phase of the East-West Metro from Salt Lake Stadium to Salt Lake Sector five was inaugurated by Goyal on 13th February this year.

Goyal also flagged off the first train from the newly inaugurated Phoolbgan station through video link. In his address, congratulating all for taking extra initiative to complete the work of Phoolbagan station in the midst of COVID-19 pandemic, Goyal said that this extension of services from Salt Lake Stadium to Phoolbagan (a stretch of 1.665 kms) will be a great help for the commuters more so because of its proximity to Sealdah station.

Terming it a gift for Durga Puja, he also said that metro provides the safest, cleanest and fastest transportation system in Kolkata.

He has further reassured that if land is made available and encroachments are removed then funds won’t be a constraint for implementing any Railway project.Babul Supriyo, Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change congratulated Goyal for taking the initiative to commission this modern and beautiful Phoolbagan Metro station so early.

He expressed hope that in the coming days people will be able to commute to and from Sealdah station easily due to this extension of East-West Metro.Sushri Debasree Chaudhuri, Minister of State for Women and Child Development was also present in this programme and expressed her happiness for commissioning of Phoolbagan station.