expansionKolkata·2026-08-10
Kolkata East-West Metro Fully Operational: India First Underwater Metro Now Complete
Kolkata Metro's East-West Line, featuring India's first underwater tunnel, is now fully operational from Howrah Maidan to Salt Lake Sector V.
Kolkata Metro's East-West Metro line — a landmark project in Indian infrastructure — is now fully operational. The line runs from Howrah Maidan in the west to Salt Lake Sector V in the east, covering 16.6 km.
The highlight of the project is the 520-metre underwater tunnel beneath the Hooghly river — a first in India. The tunnels were constructed using Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) at a depth of 30 metres below the riverbed.
Stations of note:
•Howrah Maidan (Western Terminal)
•Howrah (adjacent to Howrah Railway Station)
•Mahakaran (near Kolkata High Court)
•Esplanade (interchange with North-South Line)
•Bowbazar
•Sealdah (major interchange with suburban railways)
•Salt Lake Sector V (Eastern IT hub terminal)
The full line significantly reduces commute time between Howrah and Salt Lake from over 60 minutes by road to under 30 minutes by metro.
Tags
Kolkata MetroEast-West Metrounderwater tunnelHowrahSalt Lake
Note: This article is for informational purposes. MetroWala recommends verifying all metro information with official operators before travel. Metro networks are subject to service changes.