First trial run on Sealdah-Esplanade stretch of East-West Kolkata Metro successful

Kolkata: The first trial run on the 2.63 km Sealdah–Esplanade stretch of East-West Metro in Kolkata was conducted successfully on Tuesday.

A Metro Railway Kolkata statement said that through the west-bound tunnel of the Green Line, the first trial run was conducted successfully in the presence of Metro Railway General Manager and Chairman of Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation Limited (KMRCL) P Uday Kumar Reddy and other senior officers.

The general manager was in the motorman's cabin during the trial run which began at 11.20 am from Sealdah Metro Station, and reached Esplanade Metro station at 11.31 am.

Reddy congratulated everyone for the successful trial run and held a meeting with Metro Railway and KMRCL officers at the Esplanade Metro station.

This stretch, once commissioned, would enable people of Kolkata and the suburbs to reach different parts of the city and adjoining areas from the Sealdah and Howrah terminal stations of the railways through the Esplanade underground metro station, where they can interchange.

The Howrah Maidan to Sector V corridor - the entire 16-km stretch of East-West Metro - is expected to become operational by this year.

Currently, East-Metro trains run between Howrah Maidan-Esplanade and Sealdah-Sector V stretches.