The Kolkata Metro Green Line, officially Line 2 and better known as the East-West Metro, runs 16.6 km from Howrah Maidan to Salt Lake Sector V through 12 stations, and it is the only metro line in India that crosses beneath a river. Since the Sealdah to Esplanade gap opened on 22 August 2025, the whole corridor runs as one continuous line, so you can board at Howrah and step off in Sector V without changing trains. Fares follow the standard Kolkata Metro distance slabs, starting at Rs 5 for the shortest hops and reaching roughly Rs 20 for the full Howrah Maidan to Sector V run, with an end-to-end journey taking about 22 to 25 minutes. Trains start around 6 AM on weekdays and Saturdays and run until roughly 10:30 PM, with a later start on Sundays. This guide covers every station, what is near each one, how to change to the Blue Line, and what the under-river stretch is actually like.
Kolkata Metro Green Line at a Glance
The Green Line links the three places most Kolkata commuters need to get between: Howrah Station on the west bank of the Hooghly, the central business district around Esplanade and Dalhousie, and the Salt Lake IT hub in the east. Along the way it also stops at Sealdah, the city’s other major railway terminal. Before the line was completed, a trip from Howrah to Sector V meant either a long bus ride over Howrah Bridge and through central Kolkata, or a taxi that could take an hour or more in traffic. Now it is a single air-conditioned ride that takes less time than most people spend finding parking.
The line opened in stages. Salt Lake Sector V to Salt Lake Stadium started service on 14 February 2020, Phoolbagan was added later that year, Sealdah joined in July 2022, and the Howrah Maidan to Esplanade section under the river opened on 6 March 2024. For a year and a half the line ran as two disconnected halves with a missing link at Bowbazar, where tunnelling had damaged buildings and stalled work for years. That final 2.6 km section between Sealdah and Esplanade opened on 22 August 2025 and joined everything up.
All 12 Green Line Stations, West to East
Every station on the line is underground except the six Salt Lake stations from Salt Lake Stadium to Sector V, which are elevated. Trains take roughly two minutes between adjacent stops. Here is what each station serves.
Howrah Maidan
The western terminus, near Howrah Maidan and the Howrah Municipal Corporation area. This is the stop for Howrah’s residential neighbourhoods, the district court and the bus routes that fan out into Howrah district. It is a short walk or auto ride from Howrah AC Market and the Shibpur side of town.
Howrah
Built directly below Howrah railway station, this is the deepest metro station in India at roughly 30 to 33 metres below ground. Expect a long escalator ride. The station connects to the railway concourse, which makes it the easiest way to get from a long-distance train straight into the city without stepping outside. Our Howrah Station guide (linked below) covers the exits and platforms in detail.
Mahakaran
Named after Mahakaran, the Bengali name for Writers’ Building, this station sits in the heart of the Dalhousie Square (BBD Bagh) office district. It serves the GPO, Reserve Bank of India, the state secretariat buildings, St John’s Church and the Strand Road ghats. This is the first stop on the Kolkata side after the tunnel emerges from under the river.
Esplanade
The busiest station on the line and the interchange with the Blue Line (Dakshineswar to Kavi Subhash). Esplanade is also the gateway to New Market, the Esplanade bus terminus, Chowringhee, the Maidan and Park Street (one Blue Line stop south). The Green Line platforms are separate from the Blue Line platforms, and the walk between them takes a few minutes through connecting passages, so allow time if you are changing lines in the evening rush.
Sealdah
Directly beside Sealdah railway station, eastern India’s busiest suburban terminal. If you arrive on a Sealdah local from the North or South 24 Parganas suburbs, this station takes you to Howrah or Salt Lake without a bus. It is also the closest metro stop for College Street, Bowbazar and the Moulali and Entally areas.
Phoolbagan
The last underground station heading east, serving Phoolbagan, Kankurgachi and Beleghata. It is a convenient stop for the residential belt around CIT Road and for people heading toward Ultadanga by road.
Salt Lake Stadium
The first elevated station, next to Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, the stadium that hosts ISL matches and major concerts. On match days this station gets extremely crowded before kick-off and after the final whistle, so arrive early or wait out the rush.
Bengal Chemical
Serves the western blocks of Salt Lake (Sectors I and II) and the area around the old Bengal Chemical factory. Useful for the Salt Lake housing blocks on the Kankurgachi side and the Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation offices.
City Centre
The stop for City Centre Salt Lake, the mall and open-air plaza that anchors the township’s dining and shopping scene. Also close to the DA and DB block residential areas and the Salt Lake central park side.
Central Park
Named for Salt Lake’s large Central Park (Banabitan), this station also serves the Salt Lake fair grounds that host the Kolkata Book Fair each winter and the Karunamoyee-side housing blocks.
Karunamoyee
One of Salt Lake’s main bus hubs. Karunamoyee bus stand has routes to New Town, Rajarhat, the airport and across the city, which makes this the practical transfer point if your final destination is beyond the metro line.
Salt Lake Sector V
The eastern terminus and the reason the line exists: Sector V is Kolkata’s IT and electronics hub, home to offices of TCS, Wipro, Cognizant and dozens of smaller firms, plus Webel Bhavan, Technopolis and the Nicco Park amusement park. The station is on the Sector V side of the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass canal, and most offices are within a 10 to 15 minute walk or a short toto ride.
Green Line Fares: How Much Does It Cost?
The Green Line uses the same distance-based fare slabs as the rest of the Kolkata Metro network. Fares start at Rs 5 for journeys up to 2 km, then step up to Rs 10, Rs 15 and Rs 20 as the distance grows. Because the full line is only 16.6 km, the maximum fare between Howrah Maidan and Salt Lake Sector V falls in the Rs 20 slab at the time of writing, and most journeys within the Salt Lake section or within the central section cost Rs 5 to Rs 10. If you are changing to the Blue Line at Esplanade, your fare is calculated on the combined distance rather than as two separate tickets.
Tickets are sold as single-journey tokens at counters and vending machines, as QR-code tickets through the official Metro Railway app, and through the rechargeable smart card, which typically adds a small bonus on each top-up and saves you the counter queue. Fares are revised from time to time, so confirm the current chart at the station or on the official Metro Railway portal before assuming an exact figure. For a full explanation of tokens, QR tickets and smart cards, read our Kolkata Metro ticket and smart card guide.
Green Line Timings and Frequency
On weekdays and Saturdays the first trains leave both terminals at around 6 AM, and the last trains depart around 10:30 PM, following the network-wide extension of operating hours in 2026. Sunday services start later in the morning and finish somewhat earlier. Peak-hour frequency is roughly a train every 6 to 8 minutes, stretching to 10 to 15 minutes in the middle of the day and late evening. Exact first and last train times differ by station, and the metro authorities revise the timetable periodically, so check the schedule for your specific station before an early morning or late-night trip. Our first and last train timings guide tracks the current pattern line by line.
How to Change from the Green Line to the Blue Line
Esplanade is the only interchange on the Green Line right now. Follow the signs for the Blue Line (North-South Metro) from the Green Line platform level; the two sets of platforms are connected by passages and escalators, and the transfer takes about three to five minutes at a normal walking pace. From the Blue Line you can head north to Shobhabazar, Shyambazar, Dum Dum and Dakshineswar, or south to Park Street, Kalighat, Tollygunge and Kavi Subhash (New Garia). Two more interchanges are planned: the Purple Line from Joka is being extended to Esplanade, and the Orange Line will eventually meet the Green Line at Sector V. Neither is open yet. For step-by-step directions at every interchange in the network, see our metro interchange stations guide.
The Under-River Tunnel: What to Expect
Between Howrah and Mahakaran the tunnels run about 520 metres beneath the Hooghly riverbed, roughly 30 metres below the water surface. The crossing takes under a minute, and you would not notice it at all except that Metro Railway has lined that section of the tunnel with blue lighting, which is visible through the windows as the train passes under the river. There is no signal drop worth mentioning on most networks, and the ride is as smooth as any other stretch. It is a small novelty, but first-time visitors do tend to look up from their phones for it.
Practical Tips for Riding the Green Line
Howrah station is deep, and the escalator ride from platform to concourse takes a couple of minutes, so do not cut a train connection fine. If you are carrying heavy luggage from Howrah or Sealdah, the lifts are the better option and are clearly signposted. Security screening applies at every station, and large bags go through the scanner. Trains on this line are fully air-conditioned and have automatic platform screen doors at the underground stations, so stand behind the marked line and let passengers alight first. Photography inside stations is restricted, and eating on trains is not allowed.
For the station itself, our Howrah Station guide and Sealdah Station guide explain which exit to use for the metro. If Salt Lake or New Town is your destination, our Salt Lake and New Town neighbourhood guide covers what is near each stop. The official timetable, fare chart and service notices are published by Metro Railway, Kolkata under Indian Railways, which is the source to trust for anything time-sensitive.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take from Howrah Maidan to Salt Lake Sector V on the Green Line?
About 22 to 25 minutes end to end with no change of train, covering 16.6 km and 12 stations. Add a few minutes for the deep escalators at Howrah if you are starting from the railway station.
Is the Kolkata Metro Green Line fully open now?
Yes. The final Sealdah to Esplanade section opened on 22 August 2025, so the line now runs continuously from Howrah Maidan to Salt Lake Sector V. Planned extensions to Teghoria in the east and Santragachi in the west are still on paper.
Which Green Line station is closest to Howrah railway station?
Howrah metro station is built directly beneath the railway station and connects to the concourse, so you can walk from a train platform to the metro without going outside. Howrah Maidan, the terminus, is one stop further west and serves the town rather than the station.
Does the Green Line run on Sundays?
Yes, but with a later first train, an earlier last train and longer gaps between services than on weekdays. Check the Sunday timetable for your station before planning an early trip.
Can I use the same smart card on the Green Line and the Blue Line?
Yes. One Kolkata Metro smart card works across all lines, and a journey that changes at Esplanade is charged once based on the total distance travelled.
