An engineering marvel on track: India’s first underwater metro inches towards completion in Kolkata

BCCL

A trial run of Kolkata's East-West Metro on the elevated track between Salt Lake Sector V and Salt Lake Stadium under way on June 10, 2019.

Synopsis
The Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation inaugurated the East-West corridor on February 13, which will link the twin cities of Kolkata and Howrah. At present, only the elevated corridor is functional, but upon completion of the final stretch by 2022, the INR8,575 crore project will be the first underwater suburban rail transport in India.

For decades, the grand and iconic Howrah Bridge has served as the link between Kolkata and its twin city. This engineering marvel was followed by the impressive Vidyasagar Setu. Now, the City of Joy is preparing to achieve yet another infrastructure feat. Speeding past the Hooghly in about a minute, that too 10 storeys under the riverbed, will become a reality by 2022 when the final stretch of the INR8,575 crore East-West Metro gets