Indian Railways is making significant progress in order to finalize the remaining tasks for the nation’s inaugural underwater metro network.
This particular metro network forms an integral part of Kolkata Metro’s East-West corridor. The underwater corridor spans from Howrah Maidan to Esplanade, with the stations along this route nearing completion and soon to be operational.
The underwater metro route was inspected by Jaya Varma Sinha, the Chairman of the Railway Board. Sinha, along with P Uday Kumar Reddy, the General Manager of Metro Railway, and other senior officials from Metro and Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (KMRCL), travelled from Howrah Maidan station to Esplanade station in a Metro that runs under the river Hooghly.
Sinha embarked on a journey within the Motorman’s cabin of a Metro, traveling from Howrah Maidan to Howrah station. Upon arrival, she meticulously examined the Passenger Interchanging Points of Metro Railway, which connect Eastern and South Eastern Railway. Subsequently, the CRB issued instructions to all relevant officials, urging them to make the essential preparations for facilitating seamless interchange of passengers among the three railways.
The anticipated opening of the 4.8-kilometer section of the East-West Metro, connecting Howrah Maidan to Esplanade, is scheduled for the upcoming month. Currently, the operational section of the East-West corridor is limited to the Sealdah to Salt Lake Sector V stretch. This stretch encompasses eight stations along its route, namely Sealdah, Phoolbagan, Salt Lake stadium, Bengal Chemical, City Centre, Central Park, Karunamoyee, and Salt Lake Sector-V.
After the initiation of operations throughout the corridor, three additional stations will be included in the roster – Howrah Maidan, Howrah station complex, and BBD Bagh (Mahakaran). Among these, the Howrah Metro station is set to become the most profound Metro station in India.