Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated India’s inaugural under-river metro tunnel in Kolkata on March 6. The tunnel, constructed beneath Kolkata’s Hooghly River, will link Howrah Maidan to Esplanade.
Spanning 4.8 kilometers, the Howrah Maidan-Esplanade section runs beneath the River Hooghly, connecting Kolkata and Howrah City. This segment is part of the East-West Metro corridor, which extends from Howrah Maidan to the IT hub Salt Lake Sector V. The metro is projected to traverse a 520-meter stretch under the Hooghly River in just 45 seconds.
Of the total 16.6 kilometers comprising the East-West Metro, the underground corridor spans 10.8 kilometers from Howrah Maidan to Phoolbagan, including the tunnel under the Hooghly River, while the remaining portion is elevated.
The Kolkata Metro aims to commence commercial operations along the entire East-West alignment between Salt Lake Sector V and Howrah Maidan by June-July.
