Metro Railway mobile app touches 4.46 lakh Android user mark

Kolkata, Apr 8 (PTI) More than four lakh people have downloaded Kolkata Metro’s mobile app on their smartphones, an official said.

A Metro Railway spokesperson Kaushik Mitra said on Sunday that this App ‘Metro Ride Kolkata’ was developed by the Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS).

“The idea of developing such an App was conceived to enable Metro commuters to recharge their smart cards or book QR Code-Based tickets anytime from anywhere,” he said.

Mitra said for the benefit of the commuters, ‘Metro Ride Kolkata’ App was launched on March 5, 2022, on android platform and on March 22, 2024 on iOS platform.

“Till April 6, 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 figures signify the acceptability and popularity of this App among the Metro users,” he said.

To make more commuters aware about it, special promotional films on how to download and use this App are being shown on platform televisions of both old North-South and new East-West Metro stations.

Meanwhile, construction work for underground Victoria station has been taken up in the Joka-Esplanade Metro Corridor, Mitra informed. While the Joka –Majerhat stretch of this corridor has now been operational, construction work of the Mominpur to Esplanade stretch has got underway.

“The construction work of Victoria station has been taken up by executing agency Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL). Barricading work of the area required for construction of this underground station and other preparatory works are almost complete,” he said.

At first, diaphragm walls (D-walls) will be constructed and then station slabs will be constructed following the Cut and Cover Top-Down Method. For construction of these diaphragm walls, machinery has been deployed at Victoria station site. The Metro Railway said 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. Different measures will also be taken to reduce air and noise pollution during the construction work of this station. Experts of IIT-Guwahati will also be consulted to check the drawing proof of this station, he said.

To construct this station, around 29 number of trees, which have already been identified, 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 obtained.

Once the clearance is obtained, these trees will be transplanted and leftover portion of the D-walls will be erected. Three other stations on this stretch are Khidderpore, Park Street, and Esplanade.