Kolkata's Urban Transformation: PM Modi Inaugurates India's First Underwater Metro

Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid a historic visit to Kolkata on Wednesday (March 6), unveiling India's inaugural underwater metro route and several other projects worth Rs 15,400 crore ($220 million). This important event is the culmination of changing the traffic landscape of Kolkata to modernity and convenience. The Howrah Maidan-Esplanade section of Kolkata Metro's east-west corridor is an engineering marvel located beneath the iconic Hooghly River. The Howrah Maidan-Esplanade section of the Kolkata Metro set a precedent for such future projects. Howrah Metro Station is the deepest in the country, a testament to Kolkata's engineering. Underlining the significance of this milestone, Metro Railway Public Relations Officer (CPRO) Kaushik Mitra emphasized that although the inauguration ceremony took place today, the beginning of passenger services will follow later. The ceremony also involved the inauguration of the Kavi Subhash-Hemanta Mukhopadhyay and Taratala-Majerhat metro sections, underscoring the government's commitment to uplift urban transport and connectivity. The stretch of Howrah Maidan and Esplanade spanning the Hooghly River connects the vibrant cities of Kolkata and Howrah and catalyzes seamless connectivity. Covering a distance of 4.8 km, the Howrah Maidan-Esplanade section forms an integral part of the East-West Metro Corridor, connecting Howrah Maidan to the Salt Lake Sector V IT hub. The metro's high-speed journey under the Hooghly River. takes only 45 seconds, which describes efficiency and speed. With a 10.8-kilometer-long underground corridor between Howrah Maidan and Phoolbagan, the East-West Metro has a total length of 16.6 kilometers. The anticipation of this project has been palpable since April 2023, when the Kolkata Metro rakes made their first test under the Hooghly River. This was an unprecedented achievement in the history of the country. Going forward, Kolkata Metro plans to start commercial operations on the entire East-West line between Salt Lake Sector V and Howrah Maidan in June-July, which means a promising future for urban commuters.  The Prime Minister took the first ride in the underwater subway with several schoolchildren. A video taken from inside the subway train shows Modi interacting with the schoolchildren sitting next to him, while some of them stood close to him.