NB In PICS | Kolkata Metro makes history as it conducts India's first underwater metro test run

The much awaited run of India's first ever 'Underwater Metro' in Kolkata was sucessfully completed on Wednesday, April 12, as Kolkata Metro's first rake ran through a tunnel and reached the Howrah Maidan Station under the river Hooghly.

 

 

P Uday Kumar Reddy, General Manager, Metro Railway travelled from Mahakaran to Howrah Maidan station in the first rake (Rake No. MR-612) to witness this historic event.

 

 

This rake crossed river Hooghly at 11:55 hrs. Later, the second rake was also taken to the Howrah Maidan metro station.

 

 

Trial runs on the 4.8 kms underground section from Howrah Maidan to Esplanade is expected to begin shortly and commercial operations on the line is likely to start in 2023, as per the Metro Railways.

 

 

The trial runs from Howrah Maidan to Esplanade will be conducted for the next seven months.

 

Speaking on the occasion, Kumar Reddy informed that trial runs from Howrah Maidan to Esplanade will be conducted for the next seven months. "Terming it a historic event, General Manager has informed us that the trial runs from Howrah Maidan to Esplanade will be conducted for the next 7 months and after that regular services on this stretch will begin," it said.

 

 

He further said that commercial services on the stretch can be expected to begin in the year 2023. Once this stretch is open, Howrah will become the deepest Metro station (33 meters below the surface) in the country.