Public transport in Greater Kolkata

Ferries, local trains and trams are one of the oldest modes of public transport in Greater Kolkata. Before the construction of road bridges over the Hooghly River, ferries were heavily used to transport between the two banks of the river. The ferries are still used to cross the river, mainly for sightseeing and to avoid the traffic on the bridges.

The first passenger railway service in Eastern India began on 15 August 1854 on its first run between Howrah to Hooghly. The service gradually evolved into the present-day Kolkata Suburban Railway Network. The trains were used to run in steam, but they were replaced by electric multiple units (EMUs) by the 1950s–60s.

Kolkata's tram system was opened in 1872. The trams were used to run by horses and steam, but they were replaced by electric trams by 1902. The tram network had up to 37 routes in the 1960s, but it has gradually reduced to only six routes operating as of 2024. The reasons cited include financial struggles, poor maintenance, low ridership, the addition of road flyovers, expansion of metro, slow tram speed and perceptions that the trams are outdated and occupy too much road space.

Bus services in Kolkata started in 1920, which was reorganised into 6 intracity routes with a fleet of 25 buses in 1948. The bus services were used to run by three companies, namely Calcutta State Transport Corporation (CSTC), Calcutta Tramways Company (CTC) and West Bengal Surface Transport Corporation (WBSTC). The three companies were merged into West Bengal Transport Corporation (WBTC) by 2016.

The bus network around Greater Kolkata is possibly the most exhaustive in the whole of India and it is the cheapest, though not always the most comfortable means of transport. The routes are written all over the colourful buses in Bengali and also in English. The conductors call out their destinations to everyone they are passing and all you have to do is wave at the bus anywhere and it will stop, at times causing a small queue of other cars behind it. Buses in Kolkata, Howrah and other parts of West Bengal do not have a card system. One has to buy tickets after boarding the bus. The bus tickets are simple paper tickets purchased from the bus conductor.

You can travel 20 km at around ₹10. The exact fare depends on the type of bus. There are both state-run and private buses that ply the city streets.

The ferry services to cross the Hooghly River from Kolkata to Howrah is very convenient to zip across both cities. The Hooghly River offers a less crowded but slow traffic medium. There are several points (popularly called ghats and jetties) on the bank of the river from where you can board several regular routes of ferry services. Operated by the West Bengal Transport Corporation (WBTC), the ferries can be fairly large launches to small improvised motorised boats. Even if you don't get any exotic manual boat like you get in Varanasi, the river transport of Greater Kolkata lets you go to several old spots near the bank in a hassle-free manner with an additional dash of the view of decadent riverfront of the cities.

Buy the ticket before you board the ferry and retain the ticket till after you have crossed to the other side and have shown it to the ticket checker near the exit gate or else you will be penalised!

The oldest rail rapid transit system in India, the Kolkata Metro is the fastest, cleanest, most reliable and most efficient of all the transport Kolkata has to offer. Trains run every 5 minutes (rush hours) to 15 minutes (non-rush hours) from 6:55AM-10:30PM from Monday to Saturday and 9:50AM-10:00PM on Sunday. Fares range from ₹5-30.

The four-seat sections at each end of a coach are reserved for senior citizens and the physically challenged. The two middle seat sections, between the general seat sections on each side, are reserved for women. Smoking is also strictly prohibited on the metro premises. Violating any of these incurs a penalty.

Be aware that if you wish to exit at a station during rush hours, you will have to tackle your way through in order to get out before the opposite flow of passengers pushes you back inside. Don't be afraid of using your strength to push yourself out.

See also: Rail travel in India

Greater Kolkata is part of both the Eastern Railway (ER) and the South Eastern Railway (SER) zone. The region is served by both passenger and suburban railway services. The Kolkata Suburban Railway, commonly referred to as "local trains", has the largest suburban railway network in India. The suburban trains are identified by its white-pink livery, and depending on the route, such trains can be extremely crowded. It is less expensive to travel around by train as compared to private taxis.

There are five lines under the suburban railway network, including the Chord Link Line, Circular Railway, Eastern Line, Sealdah South and the South Eastern Line.

Kolkata has the only tram service in all of India and the oldest surviving electric tram network in Asia. Though decommissioned in some parts of the city, electric trams are still one of the means of travelling between a few places within the city. They move slowly on the laid tracks in traffic-jammed streets, but they are environment-friendly (no emissions on the street, only at the source of energy generation). The trams were operated by the Calcutta Tramways Company (CTC) until 2016 when the company merged into the West Bengal Transport Corporation (WBTC).

The tram network had up to 37 routes in the 1960s, but it has gradually reduced to only six routes operating as of 2024:

• Route No. 5: Esplanade–Shyambazar
• Route No. 11: Howrah Bridge–Shyambazar
• Route No. 18: Howrah Bridge–Bidhannagar
• Route No. 24/29: Ballygunge Jn–Tollygunge
• Route No. 25: Esplanade–Gariahat

Water-logging, caused by heavy rains during the summer monsoon, often interrupt transport networks. Keep yourself updated with the latest weather news before venturing out to use public transport.