Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated India's first-ever underwater metro, the Howrah Maidan-Esplanade Metro section today. The inauguration was attended by dignitaries and officials, with the metro service opening to the public afterward.

Here are five key facts about Kolkata's new underwater metro:

  1. The underwater metro spans 16.6 km, with approximately 10.8 km running underground from Howrah Maidan to Phoolbagan, including the country's deepest tunnel under the Hooghly River.
  2. A 4.8 km section connects Howrah and Salt Lake, serving as a crucial link between these twin cities.
  3. The metro comprises six stations, with three of them located underground.
  4. The underwater metro covers a 520 m river stretch in just 45 seconds, offering a swift and efficient mode of transportation.
  5. The train utilizes Automatic Train Operation (ATO), a state-of-the-art system where the train advances to the next station when the motorman presses a button.

Ticket prices for the underwater metro start at ₹5 for the first two km, with incremental tiers of ₹5, ₹10, ₹15, ₹20, ₹25, and a maximum of ₹50.

While the section between Esplanade and Sealdah is still under construction, the operational stretch from Salt Lake Sector V to Sealdah is already in service. Kolkata Metro plans to launch the full East-West route between Salt Lake Sector V and Howrah Maidan in June or July.

In April 2023, Kolkata Metro achieved a historic milestone by successfully running a train through the tunnel beneath the Hooghly River.

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