Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Saturday travelled on the Kolkata Metro and announced that 60 new-generation trains will be introduced over the next four to five years. Speaking at a metro station, he said the move is aimed at transforming Kolkata Metro with a modern fleet and improving urban mobility across the city. Vaishnaw stated that significant efforts are being made to strengthen Kolkata’s transport infrastructure and added that mobility in the city would improve further as ongoing projects progress. During his metro ride, he reiterated that the new trains would be inducted within the next five years.

Later in the day, Union Minister Vaishnaw was received at Nabanna, the state secretariat, by West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendhu Adhikari. Adhikari on Thursday announced that Kolkata would soon get a Water Metro system, making it the 18th Indian city to adopt water-based urban transport. He also outlined major maritime and infrastructure plans under the Centre’s Sagarmala 2 programme.

Addressing a press conference, the chief minister said the state government has decided to participate actively in Sagarmala 2 and is preparing project proposals worth Rs 22,700 crore for implementation over the next five years. The projects will focus on coastal development, fishing infrastructure, island development, and other maritime initiatives.

Adhikari said the previous state government had missed the opportunity to join the Sagarmala 1 programme due to limited participation in several central projects. However, following the Prime Minister’s approval of Sagarmala 2, the state has now decided to join the initiative and move ahead with large-scale infrastructure development plans.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from ANI.