Calcutta Metro would turn 40 this 24th
Celebrate 40 years of the Metro Railway in Calcutta, India’s first underground transport system. Discover its rich history, challenges, and contributions to the city’s everyday life. From its modest 3.4 km start in 1984 to its iconic status today, the Metro remains a lifeline for Calcuttans.
In a city where the yellow taxi reigns supreme and auto-rickshaws buzz like unruly bees, one quiet achiever has been chugging along, largely unnoticed by the outside world but indispensable to the good folk of Calcutta: the Metro. And as the underground marvel prepares to celebrate its 40th birthday this October, one can’t help but raise a metaphorical glass (or a cup of chai, if you will) to this steadfast commuter’s ally.
It was on the 24th of October, 1984, that Calcutta’s Metro Railway made its grand debut, its first commercial run covering a modest distance of 3.4 km from Esplanade to Bhowanipore. A hop, skip, and a jump, one might say. The neighbourhood formerly known as Bhowanipore has since donned a new moniker – Netaji Bhavan – though for the seasoned Calcuttan, old names die hard. Today, the Metro stretches a respectable 60 km across four operational corridors, one of which even dares to burrow beneath the mighty Hooghly River.
Now, one might compare it to its metropolitan siblings in Delhi or Mumbai, and, let’s be honest, Calcutta’s Metro does appear to be the slightly older cousin who took their time getting things done. While Delhi’s Metro system sprinted ahead, expanding at breakneck speed, Calcutta’s version has remained more… measured, shall we say? Some might call it a gentle stroll rather than a sprint. But this slower pace is not without its charm. After all, the tortoise did win the race, didn’t it?
Ah, but there’s more to the story. Cast your minds back to the 29th of December, 1972. India’s then Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, laid the foundation stone for what was to become India’s first Metro railway. There were grand plans for Metros in Calcutta, Mumbai, Delhi, and Chennai. But, as they say, ‘the best-laid plans of mice and men…’. The winds of political change blew through Delhi and Bengal, leaving the Metro project in a state of limbo. Funding dried up, enthusiasm waned, and it wasn’t until 12 long years later that the Metro finally made its way beneath Calcutta’s bustling streets.
Yet credit must be given where it’s due. Through bureaucratic hurdles and shifting regimes, the engineers, officials, and workers remained resolute. The Metro was to be born, come hell or high water, or, in this case, come monsoon flooding or political chaos.
Interestingly, Calcutta’s Metro was a pioneer in more ways than one. Long before the buzzwords ‘Make in India’ became fashionable, the Metro had embraced the homegrown approach. Everything, from the air-conditioning to the tunnels, was designed in India. The iconic rakes, or carriages, were assembled at the Integral Coach Factory in Perambur near Chennai, while electrical equipment came from public sector giants NGEF and BHEL. Even the third rail that powers the trains was made by the Steel Authority of India (SAIL). If this isn’t a ‘Made in India’ success story, what is?
But getting the Metro on track, quite literally, wasn’t without its challenges. Imagine, if you will, the sight of giant cranes hoisting the coaches underground between Chowringhee and Bhowanipore. One can only imagine the raised eyebrows and muttered comments of onlookers, no doubt sipping their tea and remarking, ‘Well, I never…’.
And then there were the drivers – or motormen, to give them their proper title. They were tasked with navigating this newfangled contraption without so much as a day’s experience. The solution? A spot of training in Russia, where Metro systems had been operating for decades. Quite the adventure, one imagines, though perhaps not the sort that most Calcuttans had on their bucket list at the time.
Of course, no grand public project would be complete without a healthy dose of scepticism, would it? Rumours swirled through the city, with some claiming that the Metro was a death trap in disguise, poised to collapse at the first tremor of an earthquake. It took the likes of luminaries such as filmmaker Satyajit Ray, sarod maestro Amjad Ali Khan, and director Mrinal Sen to step aboard the trains and quash such fears. With such illustrious passengers, who could possibly doubt the safety of the Metro?
Now, as Calcutta prepares to mark 40 years of its beloved Metro, a series of celebratory events are planned, from heritage walks to exhibitions. A commemorative stamp and cover are also in the pipeline, no doubt destined to be cherished by philatelists across the land.
The Metro may not have expanded as swiftly as its counterparts in other cities, but it remains the beating heart of Calcutta’s public transport system. As the clock ticks towards its 40th anniversary, here’s to another 40 years of shuttling passengers through the city, rain or shine, politics or no politics. After all, in Calcutta, the Metro is more than just a mode of transport; it’s a lifeline, a symbol of resilience, and, dare we say, a trusted friend for the daily commute. Cheers!
What's Your Reaction?
