Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Mar 5: Ahead of the announcement of dates of the Parliamentary elections, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to inaugurate a bunch of Metro and rapid transit rail projects across the country on Wednesday including the India’s first under-river metro tunnel built in Kolkata.
In a monumental development set to transform urban transportation, the projects to be launched from Wednesday would mark a significant stride towards enhancing urban mobility and connectivity.
For Kolkata, it would be a historic moment as Modi inaugurate the country’s first-ever underwater metro section. The metro tunnel is a remarkable feat of engineering that spans a distance of 16.6 kilometres beneath the Ganga river, locally named the Hooghly River.
The inauguration event will not be limited to Kolkata. Mr Modi is also set to flag off several other important projects across the country. These include the Pune Metro’s stretch from Ruby Hall Clinic to Ramwadi, the Kochi Metro Rail Phase I Extension from SN Junction Metro station to Tripunithura Metro station, the Agra Metro’s stretch from Taj East Gate to Mankameshwar and the Duhai-Modinagar (North) section of the Delhi-Meerut RRTS Corridor.
Each of these projects is designed to significantly ease road traffic congestion and provide seamless, efficient, and comfortable connectivity for the public. For instance, the newly inaugurated section of the Agra Metro is poised to enhance access to the city’s historical and tourist sites, while the RRTS corridor aims to stimulate economic activity within the National Capital Region (NCR).
Furthermore, the Prime Minister will also lay the foundation stone for the extension of the Pune Metro Rail project phase 1 between Pimpri Chinchwad Metro-Nigdi, promising continued expansion and enhancement of urban transit infrastructure.
In Kolkata, the underwater metro will connect Kolkata’s twin cities, Howrah and Salt Lake, and will have six stations, three of which are underground. The opening event is expected to be grand, with the Prime Minister leading the ceremony. It will be attended by several dignitaries and officials, and the public will get a chance to experience the underwater metro on the same day.
Kolkata Metro’s Howrah Maidan-Esplanade section is special because the section will see the train travel underwater. Howrah metro station is also the deepest one in India. The Howrah Maidan-Esplanade section goes under the River Hooghly. Howrah and Salt Lake city sit on the east and west banks of this river.
In April 2023, Kolkata Metro made history by running a train through the tunnel under the Hooghly River as part of trials, a first in India. This section is 4.8 kilometres long and connects Howrah Maidan to the Esplanade. It’s part of the East-West Metro corridor, linking Howrah Maidan to the IT hub Salt Lake Sector V.
The Metro is expected to zoom through a 520-meter stretch under the river Hooghly in just 45 seconds. The part of the East-West alignment between Esplanade and Sealdah is still under construction. However, the Salt Lake Sector V to Sealdah part is already in use. The metro uses a system called Automatic Train Operation (ATO). This means the train moves to the next station automatically after the motorman presses a button
Out of the total 16.6 kilometres of the East-West Metro, 10.8 kilometres are underground, including the tunnel under the Hooghly River. The rest is above-ground. Kolkata Metro aims to start commercial operations for the whole East-West route between Salt Lake Sector V and Howrah Maidan around June or July.
The Kolkata Metro extension represent a critical milestone in the country’s infrastructure development running under water. This section not only showcases the technological prowess involved in its construction but also highlights the strategic importance of connecting two bustling areas of Kolkata, enhancing the city’s public transportation network’s efficiency and reach.
In addition to the underwater metro, the Prime Minister will also inaugurate the Kavi Subhash – Hemanta Mukhopadhyay Metro section and the Taratala – Majerhat Metro section, which is part of the Joka-Esplanade line.
The latter features the Majerhat Metro Station, an architectural marvel being an elevated station spanning railway lines, platforms, and a canal, further showcasing the innovative approach towards improving urban mobility.
This comprehensive initiative underscores the government’s dedication to developing sustainable and efficient transportation networks across India, aiming to revolutionize the way people commute, reduce environmental impact, and bolster economic growth through improved connectivity.
