KOLKATA (Metro Rail News): There is good news for Kolkata residents. India’s first underwater metro train project started and will be accomplished by 2022. This underwater metro will carry out almost 900,000 people regularly and cover a distance of 520 meters in less than a minute. The managing director of KMRC has told that authority is looking for the final instalment of the payment of Rs. 20 crores in the next couple of years. Japan International corporation agency (JICA ) contributed a soft loan of Rs. 41.6 billion. The government expects, there will be no more cost escalation.
It will be a great relief for the city because it is going to reduce congestion and improve environmental pollution. The train will run under the city’s ideal Hooghly river with 520 meters of its distance. This is 13 meters below from the foothills of the river. The inner diameter of the tunnel is 5.55 meters, and the width of the wall is 275 millimetres. The protection from the water of the Hooghly river tunnel is shield with four layers of protection. However, the first tunnel work has started from Howrah Maidan on 21st April 2016, and another is on 12th July. But because of so many hurdles, it took time for them to reach out to the river.
Almost around 40% of total transport dealt by these two metro services. India’s oldest metro started in 1984 with a north-south service was due to broadening by 2014 but faced a challenge comprising squatters on the intended route. This problem has increased the total project cost amount rising to about rupees 86 billion for just 17 km from rupees 49 billion for 14 kilometers.
The Japan international corporation agency funded loan will repay by KMRC over 30 years after the first six years moratorium and its interest rate will be between 1.2% to 1.6%. Indian Railway Ministry has owned 74% of the East-West Metro project and rests 26% has owned by the nation’s Ministry of Housing and urban affairs.
“We don’t anticipate any further cost escalation now”, said Manas Sarkar, Managing director, KMRC
