Gear up for some unique and amazing ride! India’s first underwater train in Kolkata is all set to be fully completed by 2023. The Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation (KMRC) has made a way to pass under the Hooghly River. The East and West corridor will be connected via this twin tunnel over 500 metres. The train will be 13 metres below the Hooghly River.
Getting into the details of the tunnel, as per media reports, the train will be running at a depth equal to a 10-story structure while underwater. The tunnel is will be built with 1.4 m-wide concrete rings, which will be part of the metro station. The tunnel will have hydrophilic gaskets to prevent water from entering the tunnels. The cost of this project is Rs 8,600 crore, roughly.
The train will help in reducing the duration as well as the time taken for travelling. The Kolkata Green Line at present runs between Phoolbagan and Sector V in just 6.97 kilometres. This train will help in reducing the travel duration between Sector V to Howrah.
This is a one-of-a-kind underwater metro train which is built in India and is being compared to Eurostar which joins London and Paris.
At present, Hauz Khas in Delhi is one of the deepest metro stations. It has a depth of 29 metres. On the other hand, with the construction of the new metro nation at the Howrah metro station, this will become the nation’s first deepest station at 33 metres deep.
Recently Union Minister Smriti Irani inaugurated a new underground metro station for the East-West corridor in Sealdah. There are four more underground stations – Esplanade, Mahakaran, Howrah and Howrah Maidan. The train will help in crossing the Hooghly River in just a minute.
