PM launches India’s first underwater Metro line in Kolkata

• Prime Minister inaugurated Kolkata Metro’s Esplanade-Howrah Maidan section
• it passes below the mighty Hooghly river through the country’s first underwater transportation tunnel.

Key Highlights

• He also took a ride on a Metro train from Esplanade to Howrah Maidan and interacted with school students during the journey passing through the tunnel, which is a testament to the country’s engineering capabilities.

History of Kolkata Metro: India’s First Rapid Transit System

• The Kolkata Metro is a rapid transit system serving the city of Kolkata and the wider Kolkata Metropolitan Region in West Bengal, India.
• It is the first operational rapid transit system in India, opening in 1984, and the second busiest and fourth-longest metro network in India as of January 2023.
• It has four operational lines, with a total length of 59.38 km and 48 stations, and three other lines are in various phases of construction.
• The system has a mix of underground, at-grade and elevated stations using both broad-gauge and standard-gauge tracks.

Prelims Takeaway

• Underground metro
• Map based question