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Transport in West Bengal
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The Kolkata Metro or Calcutta Metro is a mass rapid transit system serving the city
of Kolkata and the districts of South 24 Parganas and North 24 Parganas in Indian
state of West Bengal. The network consists of one operational line (Line 1) and
five lines currently under construction. It was the first such form of transportation
in India, opening commercial services in 1984.Metro Railway, Kolkata is the first
underground Metro Railway in India. It extends from Dum-Dum near Netaji Subhas Chandra
Bose airport, Kolkata to Tollygunj, the busy north south axis of Kolkata over a
length of 16.45 Kms. There are Seventeen Stations en route at about one km apart.
The Metro Railway Kolkata was constructed progressively from 1972 to 1995, Phase-I
a length of 3.04 Kms. from Esplanade to Bhowanipur having been completed in 1984.
Full length of 16.45 Kms was commissioned in 1995.
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As of 2011, the total length of surface road in West Bengal is over 92,023 km
(57,180 mi); national highways
comprise 2,578 km (1,602 mi) and state highways 2,393 km (1,487 mi).
As of 2006, the road density of the state is 103.69 km per 100 km² (166.92 mi
per 100 sq mi), higher than the national average of 74.7 km per 100 km²
(120 mi per 100 sq mi). Average speed on state highways varies between
40–50 km/h (25–31 mi/h); in villages and towns, speeds are as low as 20–25 km/h
(12–16 mi/h) due to the substandard quality of road constructions and low maintenance.
As of 2011, the total railway route length is around 4,481 km (2,784 mi).
Kolkata is the headquarters of two divisions of the
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Indian Railways—Eastern Railway and South Eastern Railway. The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) plies in the
northern parts of the state. The Kolkata
metro is the country's first underground railway. The
Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, part of NFR, is a UNESCO
World Heritage Site.
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Several government-owned organisations operate substandard bus services in the state,
including the Calcutta State Transport
Corporation, the North Bengal
State Transport Corporation, the
South Bengal State Transport Corporation, the
West Bengal Surface Transport Corporation, and the Calcutta
Tramways Company, thus leading to mismanagement. There are also private bus companies.
The railway system is a nationalised service without any private investment. Hired
forms of transport include metered taxis and auto rickshaws
which often ply specific routes in cities. In most of the state,
cycle rickshaws, and in Kolkata, hand-pulled rickshaws,
are also used for short-distance travel.
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