Prime Minister Narendra Modi today inaugurated India’s first undersea metro route in Kolkata, marking a major milestone in the country’s infrastructure development. This underwater service is part of the Howrah Maidan-Esplanade section of the East-West Corridor of the Kolkata Metro, which spans 16.6 km under the Hooghly River.
The metro route connecting Howrah and Salt Lake, the twin cities of the state capital of West Bengal, has three metro stations. Notably, it is expected to cross the 520-metre stretch under the Hooghly River in just 45 seconds.
The inauguration ceremony attended by the Governor of Bengal, Dr. CV Ananda Bose, Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, and other top officials and dignitaries follows the historic moment in April 2023 when the Kolkata Metro successfully passed a train through an underwater tunnel during trials. first in India. In an interesting view, students from different schools could also be seen traveling in the boarding subway.
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The newly constructed lower part of the tunnel is located 26 meters below the river level, with trains set to run 16 meters below the river bed. It is India’s first transport initiative with a metro train running under a river.
According to the Ministry of Railways, about 10.8 kilometers of the route will be underground, 5.75 kilometers will be elevated along the viaduct. The ministry noted that this project will significantly ease traffic congestion in Kolkata.
Notably, Kolkata Metro last year conducted a historic trial run of two six-car metro sets under the Hooghly River underwater tunnel. The project, originally scheduled for completion by December 2021, has encountered delays attributed to accidents during tunneling work at Bowbazar in central Kolkata.
Later in the day, the Prime Minister will also inaugurate the Kavi Subhash-Hemanta Mukhopadhyay and Taratala-Majerhat metro sections in Kolkata on the same day. PM Modi will then address a public rally at Barasat in North 24 Parganas district.
