An official said that, recently in Kolkata, more than four lakh people have downloaded Kolkata Metro’s mobile app on their smartphones. A Metro Railway spokesperson Kaushik Mitra said that this App Metro Ride Kolkata was developed by the Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS).
He said that the idea of developing such an App was conceived to allow Metro commuters to recharge their smart cards or book QR Code-Based tickets anytime from anywhere and for the benefit of the commuters, The Metro Ride Kolkata App was launched on March 5, 2022, on android platform and on March 22, 2024, on iOS platform.
Until the 6th of April, around 4.46 lakh Android users have downloaded this App from Google Play Store and 1400 iOS users have downloaded this App from Apple Store. These records show the acceptability and popularity of this App among Metro users. To make more travelers aware, on platform televisions special promotional films on how to download and use this App are being shown to both old North-South and new East-West Metro stations.
Mitra also informed that construction work for the underground Victoria station has been taken up in the Joka-Esplanade Metro Corridor. While the Joka –Majerhat stretch of this corridor has presently been operational, construction work of the Mominpur to Esplanade stretch has been started.
He also added that the construction work of the Victoria station has been taken up by the executing agency Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL). Barricading work of the area needed for the construction of this underground station and other preparatory works are almost complete. At first, diaphragm walls (D-walls) will be built and then station slabs will be constructed following the Cut and Cover Top-Down Method.
At the Victoria Station site machinery has been deployed, for the construction of these diaphragm walls.The Metro Railway said a vibration impact study has already been done to assess the vibration levels likely to be generated during the construction and operations of Metro Railway.
A health survey of the basement of Victoria Memorial Hall has already been done. During the construction work of this station to reduce air and noise pollution, different measures will be taken. To Check the drawing proof of this station, experts of IIT-Guwahati will be consulted.
To construct this station, around 29 trees, which have already been recognized, will need to be transplanted to Kamardanga near Beliaghata in north Kolkata to pave the way for this work. For transplanting these trees, necessary clearances are being found. Once the clearance is found, these trees will be transplanted and the leftover portion of the D-walls will be erected. On this stretch, three other stations are Esplanade, Khidderpore, and Park Street.
