Sumana Mukherjee

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated India's first underwater Metro services in Kolkata on Wednesday.

During this historic event PM Modi described it as the most memorable moment by Kolkata Metro.

কলকাতা মেট্রোর পক্ষ থেকে স্মরণীয় মুহুর্ত। আমি জনশক্তির কাছে মাথা নত করি এবং পুনরুজ্জীবিত প্রাণশক্তি নিয়ে তাঁদের সেবা করে যাব। pic.twitter.com/AS58BJEjNJ

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 6, 2024

Kolkata the oldest Metropolitan (Cosmopolitan as well) city of the country belongs to the category of exceptional and when comes to the city’s transportation system.

The 300-year-old heritage city was proud to have the first ever metro railway service of the country in the year 1984.

এই প্রকল্পে যাঁরা কাজ করেছেন তাঁরা এবং এই তরুণদের ধন্যবাদার্হ সঙ্গ পাওয়ায় মেট্রো সফরটি স্মরণীয় হয়ে রইল। হুগলী নদীর নীচে সুড়ঙ্গ দিয়েও যাতায়াত করলাম আমরা। pic.twitter.com/o13N2by8j6

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 6, 2024

Kolkata metro holds the record of being India's first metro service and that  is why the city is respected all over for its transit  system.

The astonishing fact is that Kolkata has underground Metro Railways system.It started from Esplanade to Bhawanipur (Now Netaji Bhawan) for 3.4 km and served 5 stations initially. It is  similar to the London tube system.

PM Narendra Modi interacting with the school students inside the metro

The idea of underground railway in Kolkata was conceived by Dr. B.C. Roy, the then Chief Minister of West Bengal in the year 1949 to solve the problems of transport in the city.

A survey was done by a team of French experts but nothing concrete came out. Kolkata had only 4.2% of the surface area as roads compared to 25% in Delhi and even more in other cities. To solve the transportation problem of Kolkatans.

a Master Plan was prepared in 1971 envisaging construction of five rapid transit lines for the city of Kolkata over 97.5 Kms. route length. Of these, the highest priority was given to the busy North South axis between Dum Dum and Tollygunge over a length of 16.45 Kms. and the work on this project was sanctioned on 01.06.1972

On 24th October, 1984, metro railway, Kolkata, India’s first metro was commissioned. distance of 3.4 kms. started functioning between 17 stations.

The newly inaugurated Howrah Maidan-Esplanade section is a revolutionary addition as it runs beneath the Ganga, famously known as Hooghly River in Kolkata and Howrah.

The metro tunnel built under the Hooghly River is part of the Kolkata Metro's East-West corridor spanning a distance of 16.6 kilometres and it connects Howrah Maidan to Esplanade.

The Kolkata Metro is a rapid transit system serving the city of Kolkata and the wider Kolkata Metropolitan Region in West Bengal, India. Kolkata Metro Rail is the oldest metro rail in India. It is the second busiest and fourth-longest metro network in India. 

Kolkata Metro's Howrah Maidan-Esplanade section is hyped to be not only the first tunnel "under any mighty river in India", but also the distinction of being the deepest in the country.

This 4.8-km section, extending beneath the riverHooghly, will seamlessly connect Howrah Maidan to Esplanade, forming an integral part of the East-West Metro corridor. The underwater metro features six stations, three of which are situated underground.

Kolkata  has the credit of keeping some of the unique heritage transport systems alive. Kolkata Tram is one of them

Dated back to the British era Kolkata received its Tram service which was first in India.

Kolkata's Tram is a big attraction of the city

Trams have their own tracks and they run on the ground level alongside automobiles. The first horse-operated tram began operations in 1873 but was quickly replaced by the electric tram in 1902. It is the oldest operational tram in India.

Kolkata is now the only Indian city to have trams — a mode of transport that has regained currency worldwide because of its ecofriendly nature.

Another interesting mode of transport in Kolkata is the ferry service which is very ancient.

Ferry service is very  popular in Kolkata and Howrah

The ferry is a quicker way to travel for commuters from one bank of the River Hooghly to the other, primarily between Howrah and Kolkata. Ferry services on river Hooghly began in 1975.

The service was first introduced between Howrah and Babughat.. It remarkably reduced the time and distance between Howrah and Kolkata.

The main ghats in Kolkata which have daily ferry services include Chandpal Ghat Shipping Corporation Ghat, Fairlie Place Ghat, Armenian Ghat, Ahiritola Ghat, Sovabazar Ghat, Bagbazar Ghat.

A Ferry  beautifully decked up with lights

One can also book ferries for tourism purpose, as the ferry journey offers a unique experience and ambience. Travelling on the lap of river Ganga with picturesque Howrah Bridge and Vidyasagar Setu is just  astounding.