India’s first underwater Metro section to be inaugurated today

The Howrah Maidan-Esplanade section of Kolkata Metro’s East-West corridor will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday, heralding India’s first venture into underwater Metro services, which is deemed as a marvel of engineering prowess.

The Howrah Maidan-Esplanade section, a groundbreaking addition to the metropolis’s transportation network and touted to be the first transportation tunnel “under any mighty river in India”, will have the deepest Metro station in the country — the Howrah Metro station. Nestled under the River Hooghly, which separates the twin cities of Kolkata and Howrah on its east and west banks respectively, this feat stands as a testament to engineering ingenuity. Kolkata Metro touched a milestone in April 2023, as its rakes completed a trial journey under the bed of Hooghly through a tunnel 32 metres below the water level for the first time in India.

“Although the inauguration will take place tomorrow, the passenger services will begin at a later date,” said a Metro official. According to researchers, the idea of having an underwater transportation system on the lines of London was first mooted by the British in 1921.

“But the idea did not see the light of the day as soil tests did not yield positive results. They were forced to abandon the idea and the project plan was shelved,” an associate professor of IIM-Calcutta told a news agency. Spanning a 4.8-km-stretch between Howrah Maidan and Esplanade, it forms a vital segment of the East-West Metro corridor, connecting key areas such as the IT hub Salt Lake Sector V.

Of the total 16.6 km of the East-West Metro corridor, 10.8 km is underground, including the groundbreaking tunnel beneath the Hooghly.

As a Metro train is expected to traverse the 520-metre stretch under the river in just 45 seconds, it not only offers speed but also ensures a seamless and time-efficient mode of transportation, further enhancing Kolkata’s connectivity and urban mobility.

According to researchers, the idea of having an underwater transportation system on the lines of London was first mooted by the British in 1921