If you’ve also been intrigued by underwater trains, you will soon get to experience that in India. The Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation’s (KMRC) Hooghly River’s underwater tunnel is likely to be operational soon, and it will take you through the depths of the river. Here’s all that we know. By Anushka Goel
India is set to get its first underwater train station soon. The Hooghly River station of the Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation (KMRC) will likely open in a few months, in 2023, to be more precise. The twin underwater tunnels are about 500 metres long.
India’s first underwater train: All you need to know
The tunnel is built 33 metres below the Hooghly river. The KMRC has extended its East-West corridor to cross Hooghly, making it India’s version of the Eurostar London-Paris corridor. According to reports, a major chunk of the work on the tunnel has been completed, about 80 per cent of it, and the remaining should not take much longer before the route opens up for commuters.
According to Mint, the project cost about INR 8,600 crore. The material used to construct the tunnel is made of a material that reduces water permeability. That’s not all. The new station (Howrah station), an underground one, will be the deepest in the country at 33 metres, surpassing the current Hauz Khas Metro Station in Delhi, which is located at a depth of 29 metres. The rail is set to add more such stations soon.
Mithun Ghosh, the Site Supervisor, told Zee News that to provide for train travellers’ safety, there will be walkways for passengers to exit from in case an emergency situation arises. He said, “Important passage work has 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.”
Hero and Featured Image: Representative; Courtesy of Shutterstock
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Anushka has previously worked with publications such as the Times of India and Being Indian. A graduate from Xavier Institute of Communications, she specialises in entertainment, food and travel. She also likes to write about sustainability and beauty. When not working, you can catch her reading a book, tending to her plants, cooking or playing an instrument.
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