Underground railway is a unique transportation system considered most appropriate for the world’s big cities. The British ran the first underground train in 1863 in London. The Calcutta metro, India’s first underground railway, is the 85th tube service in the world offering transport which is highly efficient, safe, comfortable, fast and environment friendly. It moves people must faster than the road transport. This makes it the obvious mass transport system of the day. There are 17 Stations in Calcutta Metro, of which one is on the surface, one is on an elevated structure and the remaining 15 are underground. At present 142 trains run on any working day at 10 - minute frequency during peak hours. The trains run from 7 AM to 10 PM on weekdays and 2.35 PM to 10 PM on Sundays.

 
In the first year (October’84 to March ’85), 14.66 lakh commuters availed of this service between Esplanade and Bhowanipur stretch. In the fifth year, 197.51 lakh passengers traveled by this system between Tollygunge and Esplanade and between Belgachia and Dum Dum. In 1994-95 (10th year of service) the trains carried 194.86 lakh passengers.

 
On 27th September 1995, the northern and southern sections were connected to herald a truly golden era in modern transport and the trains carried in 1997-98 – 691.22 lakh passenters.In 1998-99 (14th year of service) Metro Railway carried 580.22 lakh passengers.

Extension from Tollygunge to Garia

The extension of Dum Dum – Tollygunge section up to Garia has been sanctioned at a Cost of Rs. 696 crore in the year 1999-2000. The section will be on an elevated structure and the alignhment will run along the Tolly Mullah. The total length of this section is 8.45 km. With seven stations, namely, Chanditala, Kudghat, Bansdroni, Naktala, Garia Bazar, Pranabnagar and New Garia ( a new station in between Baghajatin and Garia on the Sealdah South Section, Eastern Railway).
The extension will be highly beneficial for the people of Calcutta. It will also connect Eastern Railway at Garia and will bring South 24 Parganas closer to Calcutta’s Central Business District. This will reduce the enormous pressure on Sealdah South Suburban Section.