Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for various connectivity projects worth 15,400 crore rupees from Kolkata today.
The biggest highlight of the event was Mr. Modi inaugurating India’s first-ever underwater Metro service. He unveiled the Howrah Maidan-Esplanade section of Kolkata Metro’s East-West corridor.
Akashwani correspondent reports that The 4.8-km Howrah Maidan-Esplanade section has been built at a cost of ₹4,965 crores. The stretch can also boast of India’s deepest Metro station at Howrah, located 30 meters below ground level. This corridor connects crucial hubs like the IT hub Salt Lake Sector V, promising unparalleled convenience for commuters. Although the inauguration took place today, passenger services for the Howrah Maidan-Esplanade section will commence later, as per the Central Railways. PM Modi also flagged off other train services during his visit, focusing on improving urban mobility. These include the Kavi Subhash-Hemanta Mukhopadhyay and Taratala-Majerhat Metro sections.
Mr. Modi also dedicated several other connectivity projects to the nation. This includes the Pune Metro stretch from Ruby Hall Clinic to Ramwadi, Kochi Metro Rail Phase I Extension project (Phase IB) from SN Junction to Tripunithura, Agra Metro’s Taj East Gate to Mankameshwar stretch, and the Duhai-Modinagar (North) section of Delhi-Meerut RRTS Corridor. The Prime Minister’s visit highlights how quickly metro connectivity is growing in India.While in 2014, around 250 kilometers of metro trains were running in the whole country, it has increased significantly to over 900 kilometers in 20 different cities today. This is Prime Minister’s second visit to West Bengal within five days as part of his 10-day tour across 12 states and union territories.
