Tram will connect Kalighat to Dakshineshwar, announces Arjun Singh

The West Bengal state government has announced a major infrastructure initiative to connect two of Kolkata's most iconic religious landmarks, the Kalighat and Dakshineswar temples, via a brand-new air-conditioned tram line. Speaking at a business conclave held at a Park Street hotel, Transport Minister Arjun Singh revealed that the new network is specifically engineered to eliminate the urban traffic congestion traditionally associated with historic tracks. To achieve this, the state will deviate from historical mid-road placements and lay the newly designed tracks exclusively along the far left side of the thoroughfares, ensuring a seamless flow of vehicular traffic.

In tandem with the temple corridor, the newly elected BJP administration is working to expand the 150-year-old eco-friendly transit system into rapidly developing satellite townships, initiating plans to introduce modern tram loops within Salt Lake, New Town, and Rajarhat. To ensure structural feasibility and optimize route layouts, the state transport department has officially commissioned RITES (Rail India Technical and Economic Service) to execute a comprehensive, high-level feasibility survey. The specialized engineering agency formally commenced its physical surveying operations across the targeted metropolitan sectors on Wednesday.

The minister further disclosed a major expansion of the state's broader public transport fleet to accommodate a massive surge in daily ridership. Fulfilling a core administrative promise, the state government recently implemented free travel for women on all state-run buses, creating an immediate demand for enhanced capacity. To meet this operational need, the transport department will soon induct 470 brand-new government buses onto active routes, supplementing the existing fleet while simultaneously restoring Kolkata's historic tramway system to its former glory through modern upgrades.