‘Encouraging trend for public transport in India’: PM Modi on Kolkata metro trial run under Hooghly River

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday expressed happiness over the trial run of the Kolkata Metro under the Hooghly River. Kolkata Metro's first rake arrived at the Howrah Maidan and it was operated through a tunnel under the river Hooghly on a trial basis, officials informed on Wednesday.

Taking to Twitter, Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw said, "Train travels underwater! Trial run of train through another engineering marvel; metro rail tunnel and station under Hooghly river.

"In response to the tweet by Railway Minister Vaishnaw, the Prime Minister tweeted: "Great news for Kolkata and an encouraging trend for public transport in India."

"Kolkata Metro created another history on April 12, 2023. After a long wait Country's first Metro has run under the mighty river Hooghly on Wednesday. For the first time in India Metro has completed the river journey," an official statement said. "This is a historic moment for Metro Railway as after overcoming many hurdles we have succeeded in running rakes beneath the Hooghly River," Kaushik Mitra, the chief public relation officer of Kolkata Metro, said.

"This is a revolutionary step in providing a modern transport system to the people of Kolkata and its suburbs. This is indeed a special new year gift from Indian Railways for the people of Bengal," he added.

The trial run on the 4.8 km underground section from Howrah Maidan to Esplanade will begin soon. Once launched, Howrah will become the country's deepest Metro station (33 meters below the surface).The Metro is expected to cover the 520-meter stretch under the river Hooghly in 45 seconds. This tunnel under the river is 32 meters below the water level.

Officials said that the operationalization of commercial services on the stretch could be expected in the year 2023.With this, another feather is being added to the crown of Kolkata Metro, the first metro railway in the country. Kolkata Metro, which started its journey in 1984, is being expanded to cover the whole city and its outskirts. The underwater metro, which will be running through the Hoogly river will connect the twin cities of Howrah and Kolkata.

The completion of the project will bring great relief to lakhs of commuters as it will connect the busy Howrah and Sealdah railway stations as well as the north-south line of the Kolkata Metro at Esplanade. Earlier in 2022 Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation (KMRC) said that the East-West Metro Corridor project, India's first underwater metro service, is expected to be completed by December 2023.

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