The Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation (KMRC) is a public sector undertaking responsible for the implementation of metro rail projects in the Kolkata metropolitan area in West Bengal, India. It functions as a special purpose vehicle for executing new metro corridors that supplement the existing network operated by Metro Railway, Kolkata, a zone of Indian Railways.
| Name | Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation Limited |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation | KMRC |
| Type | Public sector undertaking (special purpose vehicle) |
| Sector | Urban public transport |
| Headquarters | Kolkata, West Bengal, India |
| Owners | Government of India (Ministry of Railways) and Government of West Bengal |
| Area of operation | Kolkata metropolitan region |
Kolkata was the first Indian city to operate a metro system, with the original North–South corridor inaugurated in 1984 under Indian Railways. As demand for urban mass transit grew, the need for additional east–west and feeder corridors led to the creation of a dedicated implementing agency. KMRC was set up as a joint venture between the Government of India and the Government of West Bengal to undertake new metro construction projects, distinct from the operating responsibilities of Metro Railway, Kolkata.
The principal project executed by KMRC is the East–West Metro Corridor, which links Salt Lake Sector V in Bidhannagar with Howrah on the western bank of the Hooghly river. The corridor is notable for including India's first underwater metro tunnel, running beneath the Hooghly river between Howrah and the central Kolkata business district. Stations on the route include Salt Lake Sector V, Karunamoyee, Central Park, Bengal Chemical, Salt Lake Stadium, Phoolbagan, Sealdah, Esplanade, Mahakaran, and Howrah, with Howrah Maidan as the western terminus.
The East–West Metro project has been part-financed by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) through soft loan assistance, with additional contributions from the Union government and the state government. Civil construction has involved tunnel boring under densely built-up areas of central Kolkata as well as under the Hooghly riverbed.
KMRC's work has expanded urban rail connectivity in the Kolkata metropolitan area beyond the original north–south spine, providing a direct rail link between Howrah—one of the busiest railway terminals in India—and the IT and commercial hubs in Salt Lake. The completion of the Hooghly river tunnel is considered a milestone in Indian tunnelling engineering and metro construction.