India Launches Its First underwater Metro System
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently celebrated the opening of India’s first underwater metro tunnel in Kolkata. This tunnel goes under the Hooghly River and connects two important parts of the city: Howrah Maidan and Esplanade.
This project means that trains can now go under the river in just 45 seconds, making it faster for people to travel between these areas. To mark this achievement, PM Modi took a metro ride from Esplanade to Howrah Maidan with some school children.
Construction on the tunnel started in 2017 and cost around Rs 49.65 billion (£470 million). The Kolkata Metro plans to start regular services for the entire route between Salt Lake Sector V and Howrah Maidan by June-July.
This shows how metro services are growing in India, with 15 cities having them now. In New Delhi, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation manages a big network of 393km.
