Vaishnaw Says Railway and Metro Projects in Bengal Will Accelerate with Improved Coordination

PTI, June 6, 2026, Kolkata: Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Saturday said several railway and metro projects in West Bengal were stalled for years due to a "lack of cooperation" from the previous Trinamool Congress government, and asserted that work would now be expedited following the change in the state's approach.

During a meeting with Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari at the state secretariat, Nabanna, Vaishnaw said the railway projects in Bengal had faced repeated hurdles over permissions, land issues and legal challenges under the Trinamool regime, which he dubbed 'vikas virodhi' (anti-development).

He also said sixty next-generation trains would be introduced for the Kolkata Metro in the next five years.

"The previous government had blocked all forms of development. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has plans for Bengal, and that is evident from the Rs 14,205 crore allotted for railway projects in the state. Under the UPA government, Bengal got Rs 4,000 crore," Vaishnaw said.

Highlighting the pace of metro rail development in recent years, the minister said the expansion work had accelerated significantly after 2014, when Modi became the Prime Minister.

Vaishnaw alleged that even routine clearances had been delayed earlier, impacting key metro and railway works.

"The Trinamool government, unfortunately, never gave us permission for many projects. In some cases, they even moved courts," he said.

He cited the Chingrighata stretch of the Kolkata Metro lines as an example of prolonged delays.

"For the Kolkata Metro project at Chingrighata, we planned as per the Kolkata Police's advice. Despite that, the Trinamool moved the Calcutta High Court and later approached the Supreme Court. They did not want commuters to get the benefits of the Metro rail," he said, adding, "I had said in Parliament that the Trinamool is 'vikas virodhi'."

The Union Minister said the situation began to change after the first BJP government was formed in the state last month, enabling faster execution of pending works.

"Now, when a change has come in Bengal, it has become our responsibility to fulfil the dreams of PM Modi, and we will work together," Vaishnaw said.

He expressed confidence that long-pending procedural bottlenecks were being cleared.

"The NoC (No-Objection Certificate), which was just paperwork, was also stalled by the previous government. That has been solved. Problems around land acquisition have also started getting resolved," he said.

Vaishnaw said the Ministry of Railways would now push infrastructure work at full speed with the cooperation of the state government.

"We will expedite the projects at the maximum speed. The Chief Minister is eager and very cooperative," he said, adding that during a phone call following the recent election results, Adhikari had assured full support for railway projects.

Vaishnaw said railway development in the state would now see accelerated implementation, including station redevelopment and new services.

"Reconstruction of 102 railway stations will be carried out," he said.

The Central minister also highlighted the expansion of premium train services in the state.

"Vande Bharat sleeper train and Amrit Bharat train were first introduced in West Bengal. Today, nine Vande Bharat Express (normal/seater) trains and one Vande Bharat Express (sleeper) train are operational in Bengal, and 13 Amrit Bharat trains," he said.

The Union Minister, who travelled on the Kolkata Metro from the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport after reaching the city on Saturday morning, said, "In the next five years, 60 next-generation trains will be introduced for Kolkata Metro. Today, I took the Kolkata Metro. We will bring in a big revamp for it. This will prove to be very beneficial for Kolkata and its surrounding areas."

The minister said 100 per cent railway electrification had been achieved in the state and assured continued investment in new trains and infrastructure.

"In the coming days, we will introduce new trains, new stations and facilities," he said.

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday directed district magistrates to prepare a calendar for handing over land required for the projects, following a meeting with Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.

He directed the district magistrates to draw up a timeline indicating when land required for railway projects can be handed over to the Railways so that implementation is not delayed.