India's First Underwater Metro Line In Kolkata: All You Need To Know
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday inaugurated the Howrah Maidan-Esplanade section of Kolkata Metro's East-West corridor, India's first venture into underwater metro services.
The Howrah Maidan-Esplanade section is the first transportation tunnel "under any mighty river in India", and also has the deepest metro station in the country -- the Howrah Metro station.
Kolkata Metro Howrah Maidan-Esplanade line?
The metro line between Howrah Maidan and Esplanade forms a vital segment of the East-West Metro corridor, connecting key areas such as the IT hub Salt Lake Sector V.
According to Kolkata Metro, the 4.8-km stretch of East-West Metro from Howrah Maidan to Esplanade has been built at a cost of Rs 4,965 crore.
Of the total 16.6 km of the East-West Metro corridor, 10.8 km is underground, including the tunnel beneath the river.
520 metre stretch under water?
As a Metro train is expected to traverse the 520-metre stretch under the river in just 45 seconds, it not only offers speed but also ensures a seamless and time-efficient mode of transportation, further enhancing Kolkata's connectivity and urban mobility.
"This corridor, once fully commissioned, will also solve the perennial traffic congestion and improve air quality by reducing carbon footprint," the statement said.
It would also benefit people coming from Hooghly, Howrah and Medinipur as well as other states who would immensely benefit by availing of metro services after getting down at the Howrah railway station.
Work started in 2009
The work for the East-West corridor began in 2009 and tunneling under Hooghly commenced in 2017.
The project has suffered delays owing to an aquifer burst at Bowbazar in central Kolkata on August 31, 2019, leading to severe ground subsidence, the collapse of several buildings there and two more water leakage incidents at the same site in 2022 during tunneling and construction work.
Kolkata Metro created history in April 2023 after it completed a trial journey under the bed of Hooghly through a tunnel 32 metre below the water level for the first time in India.
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