India's First Underwater Metro Opens In Kolkata: Here's All About The Historic Ride

India's First Underwater Metro Opens In Kolkata: Today marks a significant milestone as Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal, celebrates the inauguration of India's debut underwater metro line. Commuters eagerly lined up for their first-ever journey on this remarkable engineering feat, the country's inaugural underwater metro train.

The journey commenced promptly at 7 am from both Howrah Maidan and Esplanade stations, eliciting excitement among hundreds of early risers eager to be a part of history. Passengers queued patiently, greeted with roses by station authorities as they awaited their turn for tickets.

Thrilling Experience Underwater

Amidst chants of 'Jai Sri Ram' and patriotic slogans like 'Vande Bharat' and 'Bharat Mata ki Jai', the atmosphere was charged with enthusiasm. Residents like Arati Bose from Howrah expressed their excitement, emphasizing the significance of connecting Kolkata and Howrah beneath the Hooghly River.

Overwhelming Response:

The overwhelming response from passengers underscores the significance of the underwater metro in revolutionising Kolkata's transportation landscape, offering a comfortable and efficient mode of travel. For many the inauguration fulfilled a long-held dream, symbolising progress and achievement. People captured the moment with a group selfie, while others regretted missing the inaugural train due to overwhelming demand.

The excitement transcended city limits, drawing commuters from suburban areas eager to experience this historic occasion firsthand. Rabin Dey, who traveled from Bongaon, expressed his thrill at being part of Kolkata's monumental day.

India's progress in metro services:

The commercial launch follows the recent inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who hailed the Howrah Maidan-Esplanade section as a testament to India's progress in metro services. As the train ventured into the underwater tunnel, passengers marveled at the illuminated walls, cheering and snapping photos.

The introduction of air-conditioned trains promises a comfortable and efficient commute, revolutionizing travel between Howrah-Maidan and Esplanade. In the Howrah Maidan to Esplanade section, there will be a total of 130 services available daily from Monday to Saturday. Trains will run every 12-15 minutes in both directions, according to a statement from the Metro Railway.

The tunnel under the river is about 520 meters long, and a train takes around 45 seconds to go through it.

"We've received a huge response so far. People even arrived as early as 2:30 am to try out the first underwater metro services in the country," said Kaushik Mitra, spokesperson for the Metro Railway.

Nilanjan Sharma, who works for the central government, believes that the 8-10 minute ride in an air-conditioned train between Howrah-Maidan and Esplanade will change how people travel.

"The days of crowded buses will be over because the underwater metro ride is enjoyable," he said.

The Howrah Maidan-Esplanade section is a significant addition to the city's transportation network. It's considered the first transportation tunnel under a major river in India and has the deepest metro station in the country, the Howrah Metro Station.

Despite delays, the completion of the East-West corridor signifies a significant achievement in India's metro network. With sections already operational and more underway, Kolkata embraces a new era in urban transportation, setting a benchmark for future projects nationwide.

On Friday, the officials also started running trains for passengers on the Kavi Subhash-Hemanta Mukhopadhyay part of the New Garia-Airport line and the Taratala-Majerhat part of the Joka-Esplanade line of Kolkata Metro, which is the oldest metro system in India.

The Metro Railway mentioned in a statement that the 4.8-kilometre section of the East-West Metro from Howrah Maidan to Esplanade cost about Rs 4,965 crore to build.

The part from Salt Lake Sector V to Sealdah is already in use for passengers.

Construction work for the East-West corridor began in 2009, and digging under the Hooghly River began in 2017.

Out of 16.6 kilometres of the corridor, 10.8 kilometres are below the ground, including the part under the river.

The project faced delays because of a burst aquifer in Bowbazar, central Kolkata, on August 31, 2019, which led to the severe sinking of the ground, buildings collapsing, and two more incidents of water leaking in the same area during tunnelling and building work in 2022.