The East-West Corridor of the Kolkata
Metro is a rapid transit system under construction which will connect Salt
Lake in Kolkata
with Howrah by going underneath the Hooghly River/Ganga in
the Indian state of West Bengal. It would consist of 12 stations from Salt Lake
Sector V in the east to Howrah Maidan in the west, of which 6 would be elevated
and 6 would be underground, with a total distance of 16.6 km.
The master plan had already identified the
corridor way back in 1971. The experience of India’s first metro and the
success of the Delhi metro network contributed to the sanction of the East –
West corridor connection Howrah Railway Station and Bidhannagar through an
order dated 30th July 2008. Thus began the fascinating journey of building the
East–West corridor, the line which would connect Howrah and Sealdah Railway
Stations, two of the busiest railway stations in the world and which would pass
through under Hooghly river, the first such river crossing in the country. A
journey whose end is in sight, a journey which will give Kolkata its second
metro; a metro the residents would be proud of.
List of Stations:
Howrah
Howrah Maidan
Mahakaran
Esplanade
Sealdah
Phool Bagan
Salt Lake Stadium
Bengal Chemical
City Centre
Central Park
Karunamoyee
Sal Lake Sector V
Engineering Marvel:
When one steps out of Howrah station and
heads towards the city, one is faced with the daunting task of crossing the
Howrah bridge. Any attempted to revive its long faded romance is a lost cause,
but even that would be acceptable if peace and order ruled. However, teeming
with every kind of vehicle possible, the bridge has become a dreaded prospect
for every Kolkata – Howrah bound traveller. This is where the East – West metro
comes in with an alternative which combines an almost dreamlike appeal with
uncompromised efficiency – travelling more than a 10 storied building below the
water surface for almost ½ kilometer across the Hooghly! The reinforced concrete
segmental tunnel linings have a thickness of more than a quarter of a matre and
are caulked with a composite gasket of neoprene and hydrophilic rubber to seal
the tunnel from ingress of water. This marvel of modern technology is a
resounding first in India as well as a rare venture world – wide.
Importance:
The
Kolkata East-West Metro aims to change the daily habits of hundreds of
thousands of commuters – ditching their cars and the city’s overloaded bus
network for a train ride into work.
The
scheme should cut traffic on the roads and ease congestion – as well as
reducing air pollution from private vehicles.
The
scheme will connect Kolkata’s central business district with the
fast-developing IT industry hub of Salt Lake City.
Source :
https://www.ice.org.uk/what-is-civil-engineering/what-do-civil-engineers-do/east-west-metro-kolkata
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