The metro journey was made memorable thanks to the company of these youngsters and those who worked on this project. We also travelled through the tunnel under the Hooghly river," PM Modi posted on X

"It’s a very special day for the people of Kolkata as the city’s metro network gets significantly enhanced. Connectivity will get a boost and traffic will get decongested," PM said

He returned to the Esplanade station through the same route, and was accompanied by Leader of the Opposition in the state Suvendu Adhikari during the trip

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee did not attend the programme

The 4.8-km Esplanade-Howrah Maidan stretch, which is a part of the East-West Corridor, has been built at a cost of Rs 4,960 crore, officials said

The priority corridor of Agra Metro was also inaugurated virtually by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and other leaders took the inaugural train ride from the Taj Mahal station to Taj Mahal East station

Metro services on the 6-km corridor will be available to commuters from Thursday onwards, with stops at Taj Mahal East station , Captain Shubham Gupta station , Fatehabad Road station, Taj Mahal station and Mankameshwar Temple station

Speaking at the flagging off ceremony at the Taj Mahal station, Adityanath said Agra Metro would provide world-class public transport to locals and tourists visiting the city