Kolkata's Under-River Metro Sees 2.4 Million Riders in 2 Months

21 May 2024 CW Team

Kolkata?s East-West Metro corridor, featuring India?s first underwater metro tunnel, has successfully transported 2.4 million passengers within its first two months of operation. This 4.8 km stretch from Howrah Maidan to Esplanade, a significant engineering feat, passes under the Hooghly River and houses the country?s deepest metro station at Howrah, situated 32 metres below ground.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated this groundbreaking segment, which cost around ?49.60 billion to construct. The East-West corridor, when complete, will span 16.6 km, with 10.8 km of it underground. The project faced multiple delays due to incidents such as the aquifer burst at Bowbazar in 2019 and subsequent water leakage issues in 2022.

The metro line currently runs 130 services daily, providing a comfortable, air-conditioned commute between Howrah Maidan and Esplanade. This development promises to decongest Kolkata?s roads and enhance urban mobility.

In addition to this segment, the Metro Railway has also inaugurated parts of the Joka-Esplanade and New Garia-Airport lines, further expanding the city's metro network. The Joka-Taratala section, operational since 2022, and the new Kavi Subhash-Hemanta Mukhopadhyay stretch, underscore the city's growing transit infrastructure, set to offer seamless connectivity and alleviate traffic congestion.

Kolkata?s pioneering underwater metro is a testament to India?s engineering capabilities and sets a benchmark for future urban transport projects across the country.

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