India’s first underwater metro has completed its maiden run

(CNN) — Flowers, coconuts and a round of applause were part of the celebrations following the inaugural test of India’s first underwater metro tunnel on Wednesday.

Due to open to the public in November, the new Kolkata Metro line runs 32 meters underwater under the Hooghly River in the northeast of the city.

“This is a historic moment for Metro,” Kaushik Mitra, Head of Public Relations, Kolkata Metro, said in a statement.

“It is a revolutionary step to provide a modern transport system to people in and around Kolkata,” he added.

The line will connect the soon-to-be-opened Howrah Maidan tube station and the Esplanade station on the opposite bank of the river, traveling 520 meters in just 45 seconds. If opened, Howrah Maidan will be India’s deepest metro station.

To bless the new tunnel and the train, after the train successfully reached Howrah Maidan, the officials conducted a pooja or Hindu ritual for good luck.

Bright orange crocuses were scattered around the conductor’s box inside the train, and a worker broke open a coconut to the cheers and applause of his colleagues.

The complete metro line passing through Howrah Maidan will be 4.8 km long.

Kolkata is India’s first metro city.

Infrastructure is a major national initiative under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Earlier this year, the country celebrated the inauguration of the first section of a new eight-lane expressway connecting the cities of New Delhi and Mumbai. The first completed section connects the capital city to Lalsode town in the northwestern state of Rajasthan, a popular tourist destination.

In addition, in January, the MV Ganga Vilas sailed from Varanasi on waterways like the Ganges for about 3,200 km and 51 days, becoming the world’s longest river cruise.