In a momentous occurrence, India’s inaugural subaqueous metro commenced its operational service in the Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal, on the auspicious day of Friday, March 15, following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official opening of the metro line a week prior.
The much-anticipated event unfolded as the Metro Rail commenced its voyage beneath the Hooghly River at the early hour of 7 am on Friday. Linking the cities of Calcutta and Howrah, the underwater transit is facilitated by three distinct routes within the Kolkata Metro network. These routes include the Green Line’s journey from Esplanade to Howrah Maidan (stretching over 4.8 kilometers), the Orange Line’s segment spanning from Kabi Subhash to Hemant Mukhopadhyay (covering a distance of 5.4 kilometers), and the extended section of the Purple Line from Taratala to Mazherhat (extending 1.25 kilometers). Prime Minister Narendra Modi formally inaugurated these three routes on March 6.
The subaqueous metro is scheduled to embark from both Esplanade and Howrah Maidan simultaneously at the precise hour of 7 am. Anticipating the momentous occasion, numerous commuters gathered outside the stations in the early hours of the morning to bear witness to the historic event orchestrated by the Kolkata Metro Rail.
The advent of this service brings respite to commuters, significantly reducing travel time and expenses. A journey that previously consumed approximately 40 minutes by bus from Howrah Maidan or Shivpur to Kolkata can now be completed in a fraction of the time, resulting in substantial savings for thousands of daily travelers.
The tunnel housing the underwater metro is adorned with vibrant blue LED lights, serving as a distinctive marker for the submerged passage beneath the Hooghly River. Operating on weekdays, the Kolkata underwater metro will maintain a frequency of departure every 12 to 15 minutes within this section. The final metro service of the day is scheduled for 9:45 pm in both directions.
Commencing today, the passenger service for the Orange Line, spanning from Kabi Subhash to Hemant Mukhopadhyay Metro Station, has been initiated. The inaugural metro journey along this route commenced at 9 am from Kabi Subhash to Hemant Mukhopadhyay. Simultaneously, the passenger service from Taratla to Magherhat on the park line has also been inaugurated. The first metro departed from Joka to Taratala at 8:30 am, while the inaugural metro from Magherhat to Joka commenced at 8:55 am. The final metro service on this line is slated for departure from Joka at 3:10 pm and from Magherhat station at 3:35 pm. Notably, this route will not offer services on Saturdays and Sundays.