India's First Underwater Metro Section Unfold In Kolkata; Know All about the Metro Station

India's First Underwater Metro Section Unfold In Kolkata; Know All about the Metro Station

On March 6, 2024, a historic moment will unfold in Kolkata as Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates India’s first-ever underwater metro section. This remarkable engineering feat spans a distance of 16.6 kilometers beneath the Hooghly River and will connect Kolkata’s twin cities: Howrah and Salt Lake. Here are the key details about this groundbreaking project:

Underwater Metro Tunnel:
The metro tunnel runs beneath the Hooghly River, connecting Howrah and Salt Lake.
It is part of the East-West Metro, a 16.5 km stretch that links Howrah on the west bank of the Hooghly to Salt Lake City on the east bank. 

This marks India’s first instance of trains running underwater.

Depth and Distance:
The underwater metro section covers a distance of 520 meters under the river Hooghly.
It will connect Howrah Maidan to Esplanade.
The entire East-West Metro corridor spans 16.6 kilometers, with 10.8 kilometers underground, including the groundbreaking tunnel beneath the Hooghly River.

Stations:
The underwater metro will have six stations, three of which are underground.Notably, the Howrah metro station is the deepest one in India.

Speed and Technology:
The metro is expected to zoom through the 520-meter stretch under the river Hooghly in just 45 seconds.

It uses a system called Automatic Train Operation (ATO), where the train moves to the next station automatically after the motorman presses a button.

Completion and Inauguration:
The Salt Lake Sector V to Sealdah part of the East-West alignment is already in use.

The remaining part between Esplanade and Sealdah is still under construction.Kolkata Metro aims to start commercial operations for the entire East-West route between Salt Lake Sector V and Howrah Maidan around June or July.

The much-awaited inauguration ceremony is scheduled for March 6th, 2024, and it is expected to be a grand celebration1.
As India takes a plunge into the future of transportation, the world watches with anticipation for the doors to open on this groundbreaking underwater metro service.