16.5 km good length Kolkata Metro becomes India’s first underwater metro

by Study Affairs · Published May 24, 2024 · Updated May 25, 2024

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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