6 Interesting Facts About India's First Underwater Metro in Kolkata

Producer: Mehak Pal Editor: Nisha Dubey

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the country's first-ever underwater metro in Kolkata on March 6, 2024.

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The Howrah Maidan-Esplanade Metro section in Kolkata is the first underwater metro in India.

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Here are some interesting facts you must know about India's first underwater metro.

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Kolkata's new underwater metro is 16.6 km long. About 10.8 km runs underground from Howrah Maidan to Phoolbagan, including the tunnel under the Hooghly River. The rest is above ground.

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Stretching over 4.8 km, one section connects Howrah and Salt Lake, providing a vital link between these twin cities.

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The underwater metro has six stations, with three of them underground.

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The metro covers a 520 m river stretch in just 45 seconds, promising a quick and efficient mode of transportation.

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The train uses Automatic Train Operation (ATO), a cutting-edge system where the train advances to the next station when the motorman presses a button.

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The ticket prices for the underwater metro start at just ₹ 5 for the first two km. Then, it goes up in easy tiers of ₹ 5, ₹ 10, ₹ 15, ₹ 20, ₹ 25, and so on - reaching a maximum of ₹ 50.

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The part between Esplanade and Sealdah is still under construction, the operational stretch from Salt Lake Sector V to Sealdah is up and running.

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