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Kolkata To Get India’s First Underwater Train: When Will It Be Operational?

The underwater tunnel will span around five hundred meters.

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The first underwater train tunnel in India is set to be completed in Kolkata by 2023. The Kolkata East-West Metro Line will pass from underneath the Hooghly River.

The underwater tunnel will span around five hundred meters and will be the Indian version of Eurostar’s London-Paris corridor.

When will it be operational? Here's all you need to know about it.

Where is India’s first underwater train tunnel being constructed?

The underwater train tunnel will span five hundred meters under the river Hooghly in Kolkata. It is being constructed by The Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation (KMRC).

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Why is this underwater project being constructed?

The Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation is extending its East-West Corridor which will run for five hundred meters underneath the Hooghly.

The stretch will connect Howrah and Kolkata, reported Hindustan Times.

After completion of the project, four more underground stations will be added at Esplanade, Mahakaran, Howrah, and Howrah Maidan.

The Hooghly River between Mahakaran and Howrah stations will be crossed in about one minute, reported India.com.

How deep is the tunnel?

The East-West Stretch will be 16.6 Kilometres long with approximately five hundred meters underwater which will be thirty-three meters below the riverbed.

It will replace Delhi's Hauz Khas Village Metro Station which is 29 meters deep, as the deepest metro station in the country.

What are the safety measures in case of an emergency?

Mithun Ghosh, the site supervisor told news agency ANI that walkways are going to be present in the tunnels for evacuation in case there is an emergency.

"Important passage work has also been done keeping in mind that if a technical problem arises inside the water tunnel area, passengers can be taken out through the special passage."
Site Supervisor Mithun to ANI

What is the cost of the project?

The project will cost around Rs 8,600 crores and is set to be completed by March 2023. Japan International Co-Operation Agency has invested 48.5 percent of the project’s cost, India.com reported.

What is the tunnel made of?

To make the tunnel eligible for underwater use, its concrete has been designed with fly ash and micro-silica that will make it waterproof.

(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)

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Topics:  Kolkata   River   Hooghly 

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