Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated India’s maiden under-river metro tunnel in Kolkata, marking a significant milestone nearly four decades after the country’s metro services debuted.
The tunnel, constructed beneath Kolkata’s Hooghly River, links Howrah Maidan to Esplanade, enhancing connectivity in the city. Kolkata boasts India’s first operational metro system, established in 1984.
Trains traversing the 520-meter river stretch will complete the journey in just 45 seconds, offering seamless commuting between the two cities. PM Modi, accompanied by schoolchildren, also embarked on a metro ride from Esplanade to Howrah Maidan.
Prior to the inauguration, students expressed delight at the prospect of traveling with PM Modi on India’s inaugural underwater metro service. The East-West Metro stretch in West Bengal, spanning 4.8km, was constructed at a cost of Rs 49.65 billion (£470m), according to official sources.
The Kolkata Metro aims to commence commercial operations on the entire East-West alignment between Salt Lake Sector V and Howrah Maidan by June-July.
With metro rail services now operational in 15 cities across India, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation leads the way, covering an extensive 393km in the capital city of New Delhi.