Kolkata’s public transport network has added a fourth depot-based CNG station, with the new facility at the South Bengal State Transport Corporation depot in Belgharia becoming the first such station in the system to receive gas directly through a pipeline.
The station was commissioned on Tuesday by Bengal Gas Corporation Ltd (BGCL) in partnership with SBSTC. The project cost Rs 3.2 crore and was inaugurated by state labour and transport minister Arjun Singh. It will supply CNG to government buses as well as private vehicles.
Officials said the direct pipeline connection is expected to provide a more seamless and reliable supply than stations that depend on gas being transported in cascades. For a bus depot, the supply arrangement is significant because refuelling reliability affects the ability of operators to keep gas-powered vehicles in daily service.
BGCL currently operates 33 CNG stations across its authorised geographical area. Three of these are already located at state transport depots: WBTC’s Kasba depot, NBSTC’s Ultadanga depot and WBTC’s Tollygunge depot. The Belgharia facility is the fourth depot-based station.
The new station comes as SBSTC operates around 150 CNG buses. Officials indicated that the corporation’s fleet could grow as additional refuelling infrastructure becomes available, linking the expansion of vehicle numbers to the development of the supporting fuel network.
BGCL is planning similar facilities at WBTC’s Nilgunj and Barasat depots, SBSTC’s Howrah depot and the Santragachi bus depot. If implemented, the proposed stations would extend CNG access across more bus operating locations and reduce dependence on a limited number of depot-based refuelling points.
The planned expansion also reflects the operational challenge of shifting public transport fleets to alternative fuels: adding buses requires corresponding investment in depots, pipelines, storage and refuelling capacity. Without that network, vehicles can face longer refuelling cycles or depend on supplies transported from elsewhere.
At the inauguration, Singh said the government was focusing on green energy to reduce pollution and that more electric and CNG-powered buses would be introduced. The Belgharia station is the latest completed facility in that programme, while the proposed depot projects remain the next stated steps for expanding Kolkata’s CNG bus infrastructure.
