- India’s first underwater metro route was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Kolkata.
- This underwater metro has been constructed under the Hooghly River.
- The 16.5 km long metro line connects Howrah on the west bank of the Hooghly to Salt Lake City on the east bank.
- This underwater metro service will connect the twin cities of Kolkata and Howrah.
- The underwater metro tunnel is a part of the Howrah Maidan-Esplanade section of the East-West Corridor of Kolkata Metro, which will cover a distance of 4.8 km under the Hooghly River.
- This is the first transport tunnel under a river in India. The length of this tunnel is 520 meters. Two tunnels have been prepared for the up and down lines.
- It will take less than a minute for the metro to cross the river through this tunnel. Apart from this, it is also the deepest tunnel (30 meters) in the country.
- Three out of six stations of this metro service will be underground.
- The total cost of the project is Rs 4,965 crore, which is funded through a loan from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
- With the construction of this project, India has joined the exclusive club of countries like Britain, France, China and Turkey which have underwater metro systems.
- The successful completion of this ambitious project underlines the importance of innovative solutions in addressing urban mobility challenges.
History of Kolkata Metro
- The Kolkata Metro is a rapid transit system serving the city of Kolkata and the wider Kolkata Metropolitan Region in West Bengal, India.
- It is the first operational rapid transit system in India, which opened in 1984 and as of January 2023 is the second busiest and fourth longest metro network in India.
- It has four operational lines, with a total length of 59.38 km and 48 stations, and three other lines in various stages of construction.
- The system is owned and operated by Metro Railways, Kolkata and Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation.
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