New Delhi: In a first, India will soon run underwater metro under the Hooghly river in Kolkata. “The KMRC team, including engineers from abroad, has completed the construction of India’s first underwater tunnel under the Hooghly river,” said Kolkata Metro Railway Corporation (KMRC) Managing Director Satish Kumar. Also Read - No Cultural Programmes at Durga Puja This Year, Says Mamata Banerjee | Read Full SOP Here

He added, “India has joined a select band of nations. Another rare feat achieved by Kolkata after getting the first metro railway in the country in 1984.” Also Read - How Cool! In a First, Kolkata to Get Tram Library with Books to Read While Travelling

Here’s All You Need to Know About India’s First Underwater Metro in Kolkata: Also Read - Fashion Designer Sharbari Datta Found Dead in The Washroom of Her Kolkata Residence

1) With a tunnel built under the Hooghly river, the underwater metro will connect Howrah to the west and Salt Lake to the east of West Bengal, close to Kolkata.

2) The 16.4 km-long mass rapid transport (MRT) project was constructed by the Kolkata Metro Railway Corporation (KMRC).

3) The estimated cost of the project was around Rs 9,000 crore.

4) The project is otherwise known as the East-West Metro project.

5) The construction work of the tunnel from the Howrah end commenced in the last week of April. The work was completed on June 20 after it reached the Kolkata end.

6) Two tunnels have been bored at a distance of 13 metres beneath the riverbed and 30 metres from the ground. They are meant for the onward and return journeys.

7) The train is estimated to travel at a speed of 80km/hour. Passengers travelling from Howrah to Mahakaran metro station in the underwater train are likely to reach their destination in about a minute.

8) This project is likely to attract about 10 lakh commuters using the metro line on a daily basis by the year 2035, stated a report.

Announcing the progress on the official Twitter handle, Minister of Railways and Commerce & Industry Piyush Goyal on Thursday said, “India’s first underwater train will soon start running under the Hooghly River in Kolkata. This train is an example of excellent engineering of India and evidence of the progress of Indian railways.” He added, “This service will ensure comfortable transportation for Kolkata residents, and will also make the country proud.”