India's first underwater metro to be built by June 2023
The Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation (KMRC) has said that the East-West corridor project, which will be India's first underwater metro, is expected to be completed by June 2023. This is reported by The Economic Times.
The metro line, which will connect Salt Lake to Howrah via Kolkata with a section under the Hooghly River, is currently operating between Sector V and Sealdah stations.
"The commissioning date for the remaining section from Sealdah to Howrah Maidan is June 2023," the company said.
Of the total project length of 16.55 kilometres, 9.30 kilometres between Sector V and Sealdah have already been commissioned. The remaining 7.25 kilometres are likely to be commissioned in less than a year, the corporation added.
Completion of the project will bring immense relief to thousands of commuters as it will connect the busy Howrah and Sealdah railway stations and the North-South line of the Calcutta Metro at Esplanade. The train is expected to significantly reduce travel time for passengers. Currently, the Green Line in Kolkata covers a short distance of 6.97 kilometres between Sector V in eastern Kolkata and Phoolbagan. Thanks to this initiative, however, the train will cover a longer distance from Sector V to Howrah under the Hooghly River in just 27 minutes.
Another attraction for passengers will be the twin tunnels along the river. Over the course of half a kilometre, travellers will be swept underwater in less than a minute for a unique experience.
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