The Howrah Maidan-Esplanade metro section, which passes below the Hooghly river through the country's first under-water transportation tunnel, carried more than 70,000 passengers on the first day of its operation, an official said on Saturday.

Commercial operation on the stretch started on Friday after Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated it on March 6.

The number of passengers on the first day in this 4.8-km underground stretch between Howrah Maidan and Esplanade was 70,204, the official said.

He said that out of these, 23,444 persons boarded at Howrah Maidan, while 20,923 passengers boarded at Howrah, which is the deepest metro station in India.

Mahakaran and Esplanade metro stations recorded 13,453 and 12,384 originating passengers, respectively, on the first day, the official said.

The Howrah Maidan-Esplanade section of the East West metro corridor has the first transportation tunnel under any mighty river in India. It passes under the Hooghly, on the east and west banks of which are situated Kolkata and Howrah cities, respectively.

The Howrah Maidan-Esplanade stretch is the second section of the East West Metro corridor between Howrah Maidan and IT hub Salt Lake Sector V which now has commercial operations.

The Salt Lake Sector V to Sealdah stretch of East-West Metro corridor has been operational for some time.

Only the Esplanade-Sealdah stretch of the East West alignment is yet to be completed.

Out of the total 16.6 km length of East West Metro, the underground corridor constitutes 10.8 km between Howrah Maidan and Phoolbagan with the tunnel passing below the Hooghly river, while the rest is elevated.

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