India's first metro line under any mighty river officially opened; a landmark project showcasing the nation's stride towards infrastructure development

India's first metro line "under any mighty river" was officially opened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday in Kolkata. This historic project highlights the country's progress towards infrastructure development. Additionally, he set the groundwork for other Rs 15,400 crore connectivity projects.

The Kavi Subhash, Majerhat, and Esplanade stations in Kolkata Metro; Kochi Metro; Agra Metro; Meerut-RRTS segment; and Pune Metro are among the metro train services that the Prime Minister announced.

The underwater service is a segment of Kolkata Metro's East-West route, which would cross the Hooghly River 4.8 kilometres below ground. It is part of the Howrah Maidan-Esplanade section. The metro service would link Salt Lake and Howrah, the twin cities of the state capital of West Bengal. There will be three subterranean stations among the six. In around 45 seconds, it is anticipated to speed through a 520-meter section beneath the Hooghly. 

Along with a number of schoolchildren, the prime minister rode the underwater metro for the first time. The leader of opposition in the state assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, and numerous metro employees joined the prime minister on the train, as did Sukanta Majumdar, the head of the West Bengal BJP.

The groundbreaking of the historic project occurs less than a year after Kolkata Metro created history in April 2023 when a train was driven through the underwater tunnel as part of experimental work, a first for India.