Office-goers, weekenders enjoy seamless travel along fully open East-West corridor of Kolkata Metro

Kolkata, Aug 23 (PTI) With many offices in Kolkata remaining open on Saturday, and others enjoying their weekends, commuters from all walks of life travelled along the fully open East-West corridor of the city's metro a day after inauguration.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated three crucial stretches of Kolkata Metro on Friday, fully connecting the city metro's North-South and East-West corridors, giving lakhs of people from the length and breadth of the city and neighbouring Howrah access to important railway stations, office hubs and the airport.

In the East-West corridor, the first Sector 5-bound metro train left Howrah Maidan at its scheduled departure time of 6.30 am on Saturday. The train from the other end started its journey at 6.32 am, a Kolkata Metro Railway spokesperson said.

Sector 5 of the Salt Lake area adjoining Kolkata is the city's IT and office hub.

After the inauguration of the entire 16.6-km East-West corridor on Friday by the PM, metro services were thrown open for the public and a total of 40 trains (20 each in Up and Down lines) were run on the first day, the spokesperson said.

On Saturday, 186 services (93 each in Up and Down lines) will be run along this stretch at eight-minute intervals.

Before Friday, two disjointed services were run along the route between Howrah Maidan and Esplanade, and Sealdah and Sector 5, following previous land subsidence at Bowbazar, located between Esplanade and Sealdah metro stations.

Anuj Agarwal, a businessman of Howrah's Salkia, was among those boarding the first train on Saturday along with his wife and 18-year-old son.

"It was an amazing experience, from travelling under the river (Hooghly) to the lush green surroundings of Subhas Sarobar and Central Park (Salt Lake). We had eagerly waited for this day when we could traverse between the east and west ends of Kolkata in 35 minutes," Agarwal said.

"During peak hours on normal days, it takes around two hours by bus and 1.15 hours by car to complete this journey by road. In the metro, we travelled on both underground and elevated stretches by paying Rs 70 each," Agarwal, who and his family had boarded the train at the originating station of Howrah Maidan, said.

The last services along this stretch will be at 9.45 am from Howrah Maidan and 9.47 pm from Sector 5.

On Sunday, 104 services (52 each on Up and Down lines) will be available on the East-West corridor at a 15-minute interval. The first service will be at 9 am from Howrah Maidan and at 9.02 am from Sector 5.

Modi had on Friday inaugurated three new metro projects and a subway at Howrah railway station.

Metro services along the other two stretches -- Noapara to Jai Hind Bimanbandar of 'Yellow' Line and Kavi Subhash to Beleghata of 'Orange Line' – would be available from August 25. Services along these routes would be available on weekdays. PTI SUS ACD