West Bengal: India's first underwater metro to be completed by December 2023
The Kolkata Metro, which began operations in 1984, is being expanded to cover the entire city and its outskirts. The underwater metro will connect the twin cities of Howrah and Kolkata by running through the Hoogly river.
FollowThe East-West Metro Corridor project, India's first underwater metro service, is expected to be completed by December 2023, according to the Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation (KMRC).
"The ongoing underwater tunnel project is expected to be completed by December 2023," said Shailesh Kumar, General Manager of Civil KMRC, on Friday, December 30, 2022.
The Kolkata Metro, which began operations in 1984, is being expanded to cover the entire city and its outskirts. The underwater metro will connect the twin cities of Howrah and Kolkata by running through the Hoogly river.
In response to the project's delay, a metro official said, "Some rehabilitation works are in progress, and other issues are delaying the completion of the underwater metro project."
With the assistance of German machines and the best experts, the Kolkata Metro Railway Corporation has taken on the difficult task of building the tunnel. Work inside the tunnel is still underway.
General Manager reportedly said that foreign experts are assisting in tunnelling projects; currently, foreign machines (Germany) are used to make the difficult task easier.
The construction cost of the underground metro is approximately Rs 120 crores per kilometre, but the manufacturing cost of the tunnel underwater, which is deep in the Hooghly river, is approximately Rs 157 crores per kilometre.
According to the KMRC, building a 520-meter-long tunnel under the river (Hooghly) was difficult.
The project's completion will significantly relieve lakhs of commuters by connecting the congested Howrah and Sealdah railway stations and the Kolkata Metro's north-south line at Esplanade.
The twin tunnels beneath the river's width will be another draw for visitors. Passengers will travel under the water for half a kilometre in less than a minute, providing them with an unforgettable experience.
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