Kolkata ‘underwater’ Metro: City of Joy gets its second corridor after 36 years

Services of the first phase of the East-West Metro corridor, connecting Sector V with Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata, opened to public on Friday. Kolkata got its second metro line after a long wait of 36 years. In 1984, then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had inaugurated the country's first underground railway service in the city. (Express photo: Partha Paul)

The six-km long Metro line has six stations — Sector V, Karunamoyee, Central Park, City Centre, Bengal Chemical and Salt Lake Stadium. (Express photo: Partha Paul)

The six stations of the first phase will have several amenities like upgraded signalling system, digital information display boards, ticket vending machines and passenger screen doors.(Express photo: Partha Paul)

The East-West Metro corridor between Sector V and Howrah Maidan stations comprises both elevated via duct covering 5.8 km and an underground section of 10.8 km. In a first in the country, tunnels have been bored under the Hooghly river to connect the twin cities of Kolkata and Howrah through the rapid transit system. (Express photo: Partha Paul)

Amenities will include concave mirrors at two ends of the platforms, CCTV cameras, communication system installed for contacting control room during emergency, improved air conditioning system. (Express photo: Partha Paul)

The entire stretch of the first phase is on the elevated section. Sources in Kolkata Metro Railway Corporation Ltd (KMRCL) said that the underground station of Phoolbagan — which is part of the six underground stations of the second phase East-West Metro — could be added to the elevated line later.