Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated India’s first underwater metro route in Kolkata on 6th March, marking a historic step in the country’s infrastructural development. PM takes Kolkata Metro ride with students in India’s 1st underwater tunnel.
This underwater service is part of the Howrah Maidan-Esplanade section of the Kolkata Metro’s East-West corridor, spreading 16.6km below the Hoogly River. This Metro connects Howrah and Salt Lake, West Bengal’s state capital twin cities. The Metro route features three underground stations. It is anticipated that it would traverse a 520-meter stretch under the Hooghly River in a mere time of 45 seconds.
The inauguration ceremony was also attended by Bengal Governor Dr. CV Ananda Bose, Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, and other top officials along with Prime Minister Modi.
The brand new metro’s tunnel lower section is positioned 26 meters below the river’s surface also 16 meters beneath the river bed trains set are set to operate. With this a historic moment is marked by India as this Underwater Metro marks India’s first transportation initiative featuring a metro train traversing beneath a river.
Also as per the Ministry of Railways, approximately 10.8 kilometers of the route will be subterranean, while 5.75 kilometers will be elevated on a viaduct.
PM Modi engages with school students
PM Modi engaged in conversations with multiple school students who were seated in the country’s inaugural 1st metro ride at the Mahakaran metro station on Wednesday.
“I am very excited to meet PM Modi and travel with him on the underwater metro”, said Pragya, a school student before starting off with the metro ride with the Prime Minister and travel with him on the Kolkata underwater metro.
Same excitement is shown by another school student Ishika Mahato, said she is vey happy to get the precious opportunity to meet PM Modi.
Other projects unveiled by PM
Besides the underwater metro, the Kavi Subash -Hemanta Mukhopadhyay Metro section and Taratala-Majerhat Metro section, part of the Joka- Esplanade line was also unveiled by the PM in Kolkata on Wednesday.
The Majerhat Metro Station, an architectural wonder as it is an elevated station stretching across railway lines, platforms, and a canal, demonstrating a unique pathway to upgrade with the modern world.
The inauguration ceremony doesn’t stop only at Kolkata but extends beyond it as PM also inaugurates and lays foundation stones for other significant national projects.
This include the Pune Metro’s stretch from Ruby Hall Clinic to Ramwadi, the Kochi Metro Rail Phase I Extension from SN Junction Metro Station to Tripunithura Metro Station, the Agra Metro’s stretch from Taj East Gate to Mankameshwar and the Duhai-Modinagar (North) section of the Delhi-Meerut RRTS Corridor.
All the projects are carefully designed to significantly reduce the road traffic and provide a easier, comfortable, traffic-free pathway to the public. To take a very new inaugurated case as an example which is the brand new inaugurated section of the Agra Metro is poised to enhance access to the historical and tourist favored sites to the city , while the RRTS corridor aims to stimulate economic activity within the National Capital Region(NCR).
Moreover, the PM will also be laying the foundation stone for the extension of the Pune Metro Rail phase1 between Pimpri Chinchwad Metro-Nigdi, promising that he will take forward and expand while enhancing the transit of urban infrastructure.
These initiatives of governments paves a way to show their extraordinary dedication in developing sustainable and efficient transportation networks across India facilitating a comfortable way to commute, reduce environmental impact and bolster economic growth through their connectivity.
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