In the coming times, Kolkata residents will soon be able to commute under water. The work on the country’s first ever underwater metro tunnel is in full swing and is almost complete. India’s first-of-its-kind metro line is expected to start soon.
The East-West Metro corridor will pass through under Hooghly river and it will become the first such river crossing in the country.
Conceptualised in 1971, the project will connect Howrah and Sealdah Railway Stations which are two of the busiest railway stations in the world.
Railway Minister Piyush Goyal tweeted about the development on Thursday saying, “Operating under Indian Railways, Kolkata Metro has constructed the first-ever transport tunnel in the country which will pass through underwater.”
“This tunnel has been constructed using world’s finest technology, soon rail travel will be introduced for rail passengers on this route”, he added.
According to reports, the inquiry of Railway Safety Commissioner on Salt Lake Sector-5 from the Salt Lake Stadium i.e. around 5 kilometres of this metro line has been completed. It is expected to get approval soon. Once the procedure is complete, services of the metro will be started for the common people on this section.
For the first time in India, a transport tunnel is being built inside the river. Two tunnels are being constructed on the up and down line, which is about 1.4 kilometres long. The width of the Hooghly river here is about 520 meters and this tunnel passes through the bottom of the river bottom.
