Railways had in-principle approval from the government to take over the project from the Urban Development Ministry.
"It was decided in the Cabinet today that Railways will take over the East-West Metro project and modalities are being worked out for the handing over the project from the Urban Development Ministry to Railway Ministry," said a source in Railways.
Partly funded by Japan, the 14-km-long East-West Metro will run from Salt Lake to Howrah station. Around 100-feet of the stretch, between Mahakaran (BBD Bag) and Howrah stations, will be under the Hooghly river, a first of its kind in the country.
The Trinamool Congress, which had been clamouring for the transfer of the project to the Railways when Mamata Banerjee was the Railway Minister, did not change its stand after it came to power in the state.