Prime Minister Narendra Modi marked a historic moment in India’s transportation sector on Wednesday by inaugurating the country’s first underwater metro section in Kolkata. Accompanied by school students, PM Modi took an underwater metro ride, symbolizing a significant leap forward in urban connectivity and infrastructure development in the City of Joy.
The inauguration ceremony, held at the Esplanade metro station, witnessed an enthusiastic welcome from a large crowd chanting ‘Modi Modi’ and ‘Jai Shri Ram’. Amidst this fervor, PM Modi also laid the foundation stone for multiple connectivity projects amounting to ₹15,400 crore, emphasizing the government’s commitment to enhancing transportation infrastructure across the nation.
Here’s everything you need to know about this groundbreaking underwater metro tunnel:
The Kolkata Metro’s Howrah Maidan-Esplanade Section: This section stands as India’s pioneering underwater transportation tunnel, boasting the country’s deepest metro station, the Howrah metro station, situated at a depth of 30 meters below the surface.
The East-West Metro Corridor: Spanning 4.8 kilometers between Howrah Maidan and Esplanade, this segment is integral to the East-West Metro corridor, linking key areas such as the IT hub Salt Lake Sector V.
Project Cost: The construction of the 4.8-km stretch from Howrah Maidan to Esplanade has incurred a cost of ₹4,965 crore, as per Metro Railway estimates.
Underground Configuration: Out of the total 16.6 km of the East-West Metro corridor, 10.8 km is underground, including the tunnel beneath the river. The corridor encompasses a total of 12 stations along its route.
Speed and Efficiency: The underwater metro is projected to cover the 520-meter stretch beneath the river in a mere 45 seconds, offering not only swift transit but also enhancing Kolkata’s connectivity and urban mobility.
Ticket Pricing: As reported by TOI, ticket prices start at ₹5 and can vary up to ₹50 depending on the distance traveled. The fare structure begins at ₹5 for the initial two kilometers and incrementally rises to ₹50 for longer journeys.
In addition to inaugurating the underwater metro section, PM Modi also unveiled the Kavi Subhash-Hemanta Mukhopadhyay section of the New Garia-Airport line and the Taratala-Majerhat section of the Joka-Esplanade line, further bolstering Kolkata’s metro network, the oldest in the country.
The inauguration of India’s first underwater metro section not only signifies a remarkable engineering feat but also heralds a new era of modern transportation infrastructure in the country. As Kolkata embraces this monumental achievement, it paves the way for future advancements in urban mobility, connectivity, and development across India.
