The metro section connecting Howrah Maidan to Esplanade, boasting India’s inaugural underwater transportation tunnel beneath the Hooghly River, witnessed a remarkable debut, ferrying over 70,000 passengers on its first day of service, an official revealed on Saturday.
Commercial operations commenced on Friday, following its inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 6. The underground stretch spanning 4.8 kilometers between Howrah Maidan and Esplanade attracted a total of 70,204 passengers on its inaugural day.
Breakdown of passenger count
A breakdown of passenger counts reveals that 23,444 individuals boarded at Howrah Maidan, while 20,923 embarked from Howrah, which is presently India’s deepest metro station. Besides this, Mahakaran and Esplanade stations recorded 13,453 and 12,384 originating passengers on the first day, respectively.
Kolkata’s Howrah Maidan-Esplanade metro section
This segment of the East West metro corridor signifies a historic milestone of being India’s irst transportation tunnel under any mighty river. The Howrah Maidan-Esplanade stretch is the second section of the East West Metro corridor between Howrah Maidan and IT hub Salt Lake Sector V which now has commercial operations.
The completion of the Salt Lake Sector V to Sealdah stretch has already facilitated operational services, while the Esplanade-Sealdah segment remains pending. The East West Metro, spanning a total length of 16.6 kilometers, features an underground corridor stretching 10.8 kilometers from Howrah Maidan to Phoolbagan, encompassing the innovative Hooghly river tunnel, while the remaining portion stands elevated.
(With PTI inputs)