Kolkata Metro completes tunnelling under Hooghly

Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation (KMRC), which is expecting to commission the first phase of the East-West Metro Project in the city in 2018, has completed tunnelling work under the Hooghly river in 66 days, an official said on Friday.

"The two tunnel boring machines -- Rachana and Prerana -- have successfully connected sister cities Howrah and Kolkata under the river only in 66 days," KMRCL Managing Director Satish Kumar told reporters here.

The boring machines, working 30 metres below the river bed, covered 520 metres to cross the river.

"The first transportation railway tunnel below the river was completed on May 22," he said, adding that the tunnelling work under the river was the first in the country.

Kumar flagged off the last river tunnel ring segment-carrying locomotive in the afternoon of June 20, almost 33 years after the first metro train in India opened its doors for the public.

The Corporation is expecting 14 coaches from the Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML) for the first phase of the Rs 8,996 crore project. Each train will have six coaches with maximum capacity of 2,068 passengers.

Speaking on clearances from the Archaeological Society of India with regard to the embargo on construction within 100 metres of heritage buildings, Kumar said: "We have received the clearances."

Beth El Synagogue, David Maghen Synagogue and Currency Building are the three heritage sites situated along the proposed metro corridor.

Kumar said the corporation took all protective measures during the construction period keeping in view the safety of passengers.

-- IANS

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