Kolkata Howrah Metro station and the Mahakaran will be connected soon with East-West Line with an underwater train, which would run for one minute under a river. Technically speaking, the train would run in a tunnel, which is built under the riverbed.
This will be the country’s first underwater metro train and it will be functioning by 2021. This project is overseen by Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation Limited. The entire route will be 16.6 km long and will be completed by year 2021. By 2035, the train is believed to have a popularity of one million passengers per day.
Facts to Know about Underwater Metro
1. Underwater Tunnel
This train’s main beauty is the underwater tunnel which would run under the famous Hooghly River. The tunnel will run 520 m underwater. There will be two tunnels, one east-bound and the other west-bound. The tunnels are buried 30 m below the riverbed. The train will be running 80 km per hour and a total of one minute under water. Out of the entire route, 10.8 km is travelled underground and 5.8 km is covered elevated.
Also Read : Who Made The First Train In The World?
Suggested Kolkata Tour:
2. Stations in the Route
The station in the elevated route are Sector-V station, the Karunamoyee station, Central Park railway station, City centre station, Bengal chemical railway station and the Salt lake stadium station.
The stations in the underground route are Phoolbagan station, Sealdah railway station, Esplanade station, Mahakaran railway station, the Howrah station and the Maidan.
Also Read : 20 Exciting Places to Visit in Kolkata
Do you ever heard about Luxury Trains in India? If no, then know about the Most Popular Luxury Trains in India
3. Underwater Tunnel Technology
The underwater tunnels are built by KMRCL, whose technology is used by Eurostar, a famous undersea tunnel train running between Paris and London. The underwater tunnel is as deep as the length of a ten-storey building. This technology is a resounding marvel, which is first in the country.
Read More :
Wants to know How to Book Luxury Trains?
- How To Book Tickets In Deccan Odyssey Luxury Train
- How to Book Maharaja Express Train Tickets
- How to Book Palace on Wheels Train
4. Estimated Cost
The entire cost of the tunnel is INR 60 crores, as per the estimate. The total cost of the train route is assumed to be INR 9000 crores. The tunneling work started in April, 2018. The route is scheduled to be completed by 2019. This includes the tunnels and the complete train route. The tunnels are 5.5 m in diameter and has 275mm thickness wall. Both the tunnels are around 16 m away from each other. There are walkways in the tunnel, which would be used during emergency evacuation. According to the officials, the walkways are the hardest part of the construction project.
As the next project, there is a seven-kilometer under-sea tunnel work going on between Mumbai and Ahmedabad for the country’s first bullet train. This drilling work is being conducted for analyzing the soil condition. This bullet train will be running at a speed of 350 km per hour and would be the first of this kind in the country.
Also Read :
Wants to know more about Palace on Wheels Train Information:
- Palace on Wheels Itinerary
- Palace on Wheels Schedule
- Palace on Wheels Price
- Palace on Wheels Train Booking
- Palace on Wheels Terms and Conditions
- Palace on Wheels Train Exterior
- Palace on Wheels Train Interior
What Officials Say
Piyush Goyal, the Union Railway Minister announced in Twitter that this project is an example of an excellent engineering and he considers the project as a symbol of progress and pride for the railway department and the country. A video was released by the Railway department to explain the safety precautions taken to avoid water leakage into the tunnel.
Kolkata was the first city to receive the first metro train in the country and today, it is about to become the first region to receive the underwater tunnel for railway. This is an immense progress to the nation and people.
Other Train Informations:
- What Are The Some Interesting Facts About The Maharajas’ Express Train?
- How to Explore Rajasthan by Luxury Trains?
- Comparison Between Palace on Wheels And Maharajas Express Train
- Why choosing a luxury train for traveling is the convenient one in India?
Get Information About Maharaja Express Luxury Train:
- Maharaja Express Cost
- Maharaja Express Schedule
- Maharaja Express Terms and Conditions
- Maharaja Express Booking
- Maharaja Express History
- Maharaja Express Facilities
- Maharaja Express Route Map
- Maharaja Express Cabins
- Maharaja Express Food Menu