The inaugural commercial operation of Kolkata's inaugural underwater metro train service commenced on Friday, eliciting cheers and jubilation from hundreds of passengers as they embarked on their first rides. The journey began promptly at 7 am from both the Howrah Maidan station and the Esplanade station along the East-West metro corridor. Throngs of commuters eagerly gathered at the stations in the early morning hours to be part of this historic event.
In the morning at Howrah Maidan station, passengers were observed lining up in a lengthy queue to purchase tickets, while authorities at Esplanade station warmly welcomed them with rose stems. Excitement permeated the atmosphere among the passengers, with a group at Howrah Maidan station even breaking into chants of the slogan "Jai Sri Ram" as they boarded the train.
Commercial services commenced following the inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 6 of the Howrah Maidan-Esplanade section of Kolkata Metro's East-West corridor, marking India's inaugural foray into underwater metro services. As the train entered the subaqueous stretch, passengers onboard erupted in jubilation, with a group of commuters chanting slogans such as "Modi ki guarantee," while others eagerly rushed to the windows to catch a glimpse of the illuminated tunnel wall beneath the Hooghly river.
A special illumination of the inner wall of the tunnels under the river with blue light has been arranged to give the effects of water around the moving rake. The under-river section of the tunnel is 520 metres long, and a train took around 45 seconds to cross it. So far, we get an overwhelming response, and people even came as early as 2.30 am to experience the first underwater metro services in the country, Metro Railway spokesperson Kaushik Mitra said.