India’s First Underwater Metro in Kolkata Welcomes 70,000+ Passengers on Day One

Sunday, March 17, 2024

On its inaugural day of service, the section of the metro between Howrah Maidan and Esplanade, which includes India’s pioneering under-river transit tunnel beneath the Hooghly river, saw an impressive turnout of over 70,000 riders, a spokesperson reported on Saturday. This segment began its public service on Friday following an opening ceremony led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 6.

The official detailed that the newly opened 4.8-km underground route welcomed 70,204 commuters on day one. Of these, Howrah Maidan station accounted for 23,444 entries, while Howrah station, noted as India’s deepest metro stop, saw 20,923 boardings.

Additionally, the first-day figures show 13,453 passengers starting their journeys at Mahakaran station and 12,384 at Esplanade station.

This Howrah Maidan-Esplanade passage is part of the East West metro line and is distinguished by being India’s first under-river rail tunnel, connecting Kolkata on the Hooghly’s east bank with Howrah on the west.

It is the second operational segment within the East West Metro corridor, extending from Howrah Maidan to the IT center at Salt Lake Sector V, now open for public use.

The section from Salt Lake Sector V to Sealdah has already been operational, leaving only the Esplanade-Sealdah part of the East West route pending completion.

The East West Metro’s total span is 16.6 km, of which 10.8 km, stretching from Howrah Maidan to Phoolbagan, lies underground and includes the passage beneath the Hooghly river. The remainder of the route is elevated.

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