Kolkata: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday inaugurated the country's first underwater metro in Kolkata. He had also unveiled several metro projects across the country from the programme in Kolkata.
From Esplanade Metro station in central Kolkata, PM Modi had inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for multiple connectivity projects worth Rs 15,400 crores.
Taking to X, the Prime Minister said, “It’s a very special day for the people of Kolkata as the city’s metro network gets significantly enhanced. Connectivity will get a boost and traffic will get decongested. It’s a proud moment that the Howrah Maidan-Esplanade Metro section has the first underwater metro transportation tunnel under any major river in our country.”
Later talking at a public programme, Modi said that at a young age when he visited Kolkata for the first time he wanted to see Kolkata’s metro services.
The under-river section of the tunnel is 520 metres long, and a train will take around 45 seconds to cross the tunnel. From the Esplanade area people can reach Howrah Maidan through this underwater tunnel.
After the inauguration, Modi took a metro ride with students of the city and also interacted with them.
Taking to X, Modi said, “The metro journey was made memorable thanks to the company of these youngsters and those who worked on this project. We also travelled through the tunnel under the Hooghly river.”
At the newly built Esplanade Metro station Modi also interacted with people amid chants of ‘Jai Shri Ram’.
Notably, India’s first metro services were started in Kolkata on October 24, 1984.
