Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated India’s first line of underwater metro in Kolkata on 6 March 2024. After the Sudarshan bridge in Dwarika PM Modi set another milestone in India’s history in infrastructure development. Kolkata underwater metro service connects the east-west corridor of the Howrah Maidan-Esplanade section, which was constructed 16.6km long under the Hooghly River.
This project connects two cities of West Bengal’s State Capital, Howrah, and Salt Lake and these cities connect three underground stations route. 520-meter distance will be covered in 45 seconds underwater in the Hooghly River. After the inauguration PM Modi with school students took a ride in an underwater metro, also interacted with metro staff workers during the ride of underwater, also attended by state BJP President Sukanta Majumder, along with Bengal’s Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari.
কলকাতাবাসীর কাছে এটি অত্যন্ত বিশেষ দিন, কারণ, শহরের মেট্রো ব্যবস্থার উল্লেখযোগ্য সম্প্রসারণ ঘটল। এর ফলে যোগাযোগ ব্যবস্থায় গতি আসবে এবং যানজট কমবে। এটি এক গর্বের মুহূর্ত যে, হাওড়া ময়দান-এসপ্ল্যানেড মেট্রো শাখায় আমাদের দেশের এক প্রধান নদীর নীচে দিয়ে দেশের প্রথম জলনিম্নস্থ… pic.twitter.com/iztQScP6SD
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 6, 2024
Bengal Governor Dr. CV Ananda Bose also attended this inauguration ceremony with other top officials and dignitaries, the history was followed in April 2023 when the metro ran for the first time in Kolkata, India underwater during trials, and different school students also be seen during the time of inaugural of underwater metro, this view was special and interested among all.
Kolkata Underwater Metro: Construction Updates
The tunnel has the bottom part which as newly-build is below 26 meters from the surface of the river. The train will be set to operate under 16 meters by the riverbed. This project was India’s first transportation project, where the train would run under the river. By the time of the India report, Afcons and Russian companies were the major help in the construction of transtonnelstroy jointly to build the tunnel in Kolkata. Hooghly tunnels started dug by Afcons in April 2017 and were completed in July 2017.
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According to the Railways ministry, nearly about 10.8 kilometers will be underground from the stretch while 5.75 kilometers will be on an elevated bridge. The railway ministry says the project will greatly help Kolkata crowding to reduce traffic jams. The project was contracted to be set earlier and was to be completed by December 2021, the project also showed some delays in work due to the Bowbazar incident in central Kolkata during tunnel work.
Ticket Prices and Timings: Kolkata Underwater Metro
The ticket prices for the Kolkata underwater metro lie between Rs 5 to Rs 50. Metro will open for the public on March 15, First running route will start from Howrah Maidan to Esplanade for the public at 7:00 Am. Another route was Joka-Majherhat and Kavi Subhash to Ruby metro station will also start on the same day. This Kolkata metro will bring a unique experience to Kolkata and India for the first time underwater transportation tunnel. Almost 16.6 km long with India one of the famous rivers included under a significant part.
