New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate India's first underwater metro tunnel in Kolkata on March 6 (Wednesday). The metro tunnel built under the Hooghly River is part of the Kolkata Metro's East-West corridor and connects Howrah Maidan to Esplanade.
While the inauguration is scheduled for tomorrow, the passenger services will commence at a later date. “Although the inauguration will take place tomorrow, the passenger services will begin at a later date,” CPRO Metro Railways Kaushik Mitra said, reported PTI.
Let's Take A Look At The Features Of India's First Underwater Metro Tunnel-
- The Howrah Maidan-Esplanade section of the East-West Metro corridor will have the deepest metro station in India at the Howrah Metro station.
- Spanning a 4.8-kilometer stretch between Howrah Maidan and Esplanade, this section forms a vital segment of the East-West Metro corridor, connecting key areas like the IT hub Salt Lake Sector V.
- Of the 16.6 kilometers of the East-West Metro, 10.8 kilometers consist of an underground corridor, including the groundbreaking tunnel beneath the Hooghly River.
- The section of the metro, featuring six stations, three of which are underground, promises improved accessibility for commuters, catering to the city’s bustling areas strategically.
- In April 2023, it completed a trial journey under the bed of river Hooghly through a tunnel 32 metres below water level for the first time in India.
- The work for the East-West Metro corridor began in 2009 and the work for tunneling under River Hooghly began in 2017.
- This project will not only address transportation needs but will also tackle longstanding issues of traffic congestion and air pollution in Kolkata.
- Apart from this, the PM will also inaugurate in Kolkata the Kavi Subhash-Hemanta Mukhopadhyay and the Taratala-Majerhat Metro sections.