Which is India’s first underwater Metro rail service?

According to a statement released on Monday by Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation, the East-West Corridor Project, which will be India's first underwater metro service, is projected to be finished by June 2023. (KMRC).

The metro line will be used in cutting the travel time between Sector V and Sealdah stations. It will eventually run through Kolkata and a stretch below the Hooghly river to connect Salt Lake City to Howrah..

It further stated that the remaining 7.25 km length would probably be operational in less than a year.

Lakhs of people will be greatly benefit when the project is finished since it will link the congested Howrah and Sealdah railway stations with the Esplanade stop of the North-South Line of the Kolkata Metro. The commuter train is likely to considerably shorten the distance commuted. 

The Kolkata Green Line now runs only 6.97 kilometres between Phoolbagan and Sector V in east Kolkata. Despite this, the train will cover a longer distance in just 27 minutes from Sector V to Howrah, underneath the Hooghly river.

The twin tunnels that run the length of the river will be another draw for the visitors. The tourists will enjoy a one-of-a-kind adventure as they speed through underneath the water for half a kilometre in less than a minute.

520 metres of the 16.6 km portion of the east-west corridor will be beneath the Hooghly river. The tunnel corridor, which will link Kolkata and Howrah, is being built 33 metres below the riverbank. To keep water from entering the tunnel, 1.4 m-wide concrete rings and hydrophilic gaskets will be used. 

The time it takes to get from Sector V to Howrah will be shorter thanks to this metro connectivity. A 10-story building submerged will be the same depth at which the train will be travelling.

It is anticipated that this unique underwater metro train tunnel in India will be on par with the Eurostar, which connects London and Paris. The project is anticipated to reduce traffic and improve the lives of those who live close to the Hooghly River.

The Site Supervisor, Mithun Ghosh, spoke about the amenities and security measures included in the project and mentioned that there will be walkways in the tunnels for evacuating people in an emergency. The construction of the passages was done with the possibility of technical issues developing inside the water tunnel area in mind. Therefore, an unique exit has been created to allow passengers to flee in such circumstances.

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