Kolkata Metro, India's oldest tube rail, creates history by running under river

Kolkata Metro Railways, India's oldest rapid transit system, on Wednesday (12) created history by conducting the first trial run on a new route under the Hooghly River in Kolkata, the capital of the eastern state of West Bengal.

A senior official confirmed the news.

The train, which was used in the trial run, had only officials and engineers on board as it ran from Kolkata to its twin city Howrah on the other side of the river.

This is a "revolutionary step" in providing a modern transport system to the people of Kolkata and its suburbs, the official added.

Kolkata Metro Railway general manager P Uday Kumar Reddy travelled from Mahakaran station in Kolkata to Howrah Maidan station of the East West Metro corridor in the rake.

Later, another rake also reached Howrah Maidan station by the same route.

Terming it a 'historic event', the Metro general manager said, "Trial runs between Howrah Maidan and Esplanade station will be conducted for the next seven months, following which regular services on this stretch will begin."

Trial runs on the 4.8-kilometre stretch of the underground section will commence soon, the official added.

Once the stretch becomes operational, Howrah Maidan will become the deepest Metro station -- 33-metres below the surface -- of the country.

The Metro is expected to cover the 520-metre stretch under the river Hooghly in 45 seconds, he said, adding that the tunnel under the river is 32 metres below the water surface level.

The East West Metro corridor connecting Howrah Maidan and Sector V, the information technology hub in Kolkata's Salt Lake area, is partially operational - between Sealdah and Sector V stations.

Completion of the total project has been delayed owing to accidents in Bowbazar area of central Kolkata where cracks developed in a number of buildings .

On August 31, 2019, a tunnel boring machine (TBM) had hit an aquifer leading to severe ground subsidence and the collapse of a number of buildings at Bowbazar.

Several houses were damaged again in May 2022, owing to ground subsidence caused by water seepage during work for joining the tunnels coming from the Sealdah side in the east and the Esplanade side on the western side.

The Metro first started in Kolkata in October 1984 when the train ran between Bhawanipore and Tollygunge in the north-south route.