Howrah metro station
Howrah metro station is a metro station on Kolkata Metro's Green Line in Howrah, India.[7] Built underneath Howrah railway station, the metro station allows interchanging with other zones of Indian Railways as part of the Howrah station transport hub.[1] It is the deepest metro station in India.[1][8] To the east, the station connects to Mahakaran station in Kolkata through India's biggest under-river metro tunnel beneath the Hooghly river;[9][10] whilst to the west the adjacent station is Howrah Maidan.[11]
History
[edit]The master plan had already identified the East-West corridor back in 1971.[12] It was planned to connect Howrah Railway Station with the Salt Lake region.[13] As per the feasibility investigation for the corridor conducted by Pacific Consultant International Group in January 2004; their plan report proposed the route and tubular structures to be beneath the Hooghly River.
The Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation Limited (KMRC) was formed, to execute the operations of this line.After extensive work, the Esplanade–Howrah Maidan section of Green Line was inaugurated on 6 March 2024.[14][15] The station gained attention for the underwater metro tunnel segment beneath the Hooghly River, which features illuminated sections visible to passengers during transit.[16][17][18]
Design and architecture
[edit]The station was designed based on projected peak-hour passenger traffic for the East–West Metro corridor.[19]
Howrah metro station is an underground station constructed beneath the Howrah railway station complex as part of the East–West Metro corridor.[1][9] Built at a depth of approximately 34 metres, it is the deepest metro station in India.[1][8]
The station features a multi-platform arrangement following the Spanish solution, with a combination of side and island platforms designed to facilitate efficient passenger movement and reduce dwell times.[20]
Its design is influenced by the need to handle high passenger volumes due to direct integration with one of India's busiest railway terminals, with vertical circulation systems such as escalators and lifts connecting concourse and platform levels.[17]
Station Layout
[edit]| G | Street level | Exit/Entrance |
|---|---|---|
| L1 | Upper Concourse | Fare control, station agent, Ticket/token, shops |
| L2 | Mechanical level | |
| L3 | Lower Concourse | |
| L4 | Side platform, doors will open on the left  | |
| Platform 1A | 1B | Towards Salt Lake Sector-V (Mahakaran) → | |
| Island platform, doors will open on both sides | ||
| Platform 2A | 2B | ← Towards Howrah Maidan (terminus) | |
| Side platform, doors will open on left | ||
Entry/exits
[edit]- A/C – Howrah Station Old Complex
- B – Howrah Station New Complex
Connections
[edit]Passengers can travel through the Kolkata Metro via interchanges on the rest of Green Line. The station is directly connected to both Howrah railway station complexes (being in middle of those complexes), allowing passengers to access both suburban, regional and long-distance services offered by Eastern Railway and South Eastern Railway via a subway leading to the complexes.[17]
Ridership and operations
[edit]Following the completion of the East–West Metro corridor in August 2025, Howrah metro station witnessed a significant increase in passenger footfall due to its direct integration with one of India's busiest railway terminals. The station recorded an average daily ridership of around 75,000 passengers, reflecting a modal shift from road-based transport such as buses and auto-rickshaws to the metro system. The surge in passenger volume also led to congestion during peak hours, affecting train dwell times and platform movement.[21]
Gallery
[edit]
Entry gates A and C
Platform level
Concourse during construction
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 Chakraborty, Ajanta (13 August 2019). "India's deepest Metro station comes up 30m below Howrah railway station". The Times of India. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
- ↑ "Kolkata Metro". Lee Harris Pomeroy Architects. Retrieved 6 April 2026.
- ↑ Google Maps
- ↑ Kharagpur-Howrah Local 38606 Indiarailinfo
- ↑ Howrah-Haldia Local 68689 ⇒ 38089 Indiarailinfo
- ↑ Santragachi-Digha EMU 78001 ⇒ 68687 Indiarailinfo
- ↑ Singh, Shiv Sahay (17 May 2021). "Tunnelling for East West Metro project completed". The Hindu. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
- 1 2 Sinha, Debjit (19 August 2019). "Kolkata Metro's Howrah station by Indian Railways is India's deepest subway station! Check first look". The Financial Express. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
- 1 2 "East-West Metro Underground Twin Tunnels, Kolkata, India - Railway Technology". www.railway-technology.com. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
- ↑ "Kolkata Metro's TBM S639 Crosses Halfway Mark Under Hooghly". The Metro Rail Guy. 5 May 2017. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
- ↑ hazarika, mrinmoyee (3 January 2023). "India to get its first underwater metro service this year". Railway Technology. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
- ↑ "Cabinet approves to complete Kolkata East-West Metro Corridor Project by 2021 for Rs 8,575 crores". DNA India. 7 October 2020.
- ↑ "Kolkata To Get Underground Metro Station, Piyush Goyal To Flag Off Train". NDTV.com. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
- ↑ "Hope for ops start of three new Metro links in March first week". The Times of India. 19 February 2024. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
- ↑ "Metro Railway Kolkata / Indian Railways Portal". mtp.indianrailways.gov.in. Retrieved 8 March 2024.
- ↑ "PM Narendra Modi inaugurates India's 1st underwater metro connecting Kolkata-Howrah". Hindustan Times. 6 March 2024. Retrieved 8 March 2024.
- 1 2 3 "Howrah to Kolkata, an underwater whoosh: Metro promises change in nightmare commute". www.telegraphindia.com. Retrieved 8 March 2024.
- ↑ "India's deepest Metro station at Howrah also to be the largest". The Times of India. 1 March 2024. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 8 March 2024.
- ↑ Chakraborty, Ajanta (1 March 2024). "India's deepest Metro station at Howrah also to be the largest". The Times of India.
- ↑ "What is Spanish solution in metro stations?". The Metro Rail Guy. Retrieved 1 April 2026.
- ↑ "City commute changes forever as Esplanade, Sealdah and Howrah stations bear load brunt". The Times of India. 25 August 2025.
External links
[edit]
- Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (Official site)
- UrbanRail.Net – descriptions of all metro systems in the world, each with a schematic map showing all stations.
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