Last Updated:
The Purple Line is part of the Joka-Esplanade corridor, which is now being extended to Eden Gardens.
Kolkata Metro. (File photo)
The much-awaited underground work for Kolkata Metro’s Purple Line officially began on Thursday with the launch of Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs).
These huge machines will help build a 2.65 km twin tunnel between Kidderpore and Park Street, as per TOI.
The Purple Line is part of the Joka-Esplanade corridor, which is now being extended to Eden Gardens. Despite land issues and delays, Metro Railway and RVNL (Rail Vikas Nigam Limited) have decided to push ahead with the underground construction.
Machines Made in Tamil Nadu, Now in Kolkata
The two TBMs are massive, each 90 metres long and weighing 650 tonnes. They were made almost entirely at Herrenknecht’s factory in Alinjivakkam, Tamil Nadu. To transport them to Kolkata, the machines were broken into 18 parts and brought 1,653 km by road.
For now, the machines are being stored in trailers near St Thomas’ Boys School, where a 17-metre-deep shaft has been dug. The machines will be assembled underground over the next 45 days, with the first tunnel drive expected to begin by the end of June.
Twin Tunnels to Run Between Kidderpore and Park Street
According to a Metro official, contractors Larsen & Toubro (L&T) are managing the construction of 2.65 km of twin tunnels between Kidderpore and Park Street.
The first drive will be 1.7 km long from St Thomas’ School to Victoria Memorial.
The second leg will run 950 metres from Victoria to Park Street.
The final stretch, from Park Street to Esplanade, will be constructed using the cut-and-cover method.
The Purple Line will have four stations namely Kidderpore, Victoria Memorial, Park Street, and Esplanade. However, there’s a major issue with the Kidderpore station.
However, there is uncertainty about the Kidderpore station as the required land at the Kolkata Police’s Bodyguard Lines in Ekbalpore is still not available. Officials say repeated requests to the state government have gone unanswered.
Meanwhile, construction of Victoria station began in September 2023. Tunnel ring segments are also being cast at L&T’s Sarkarpool unit near Maheshtala since July 2024.
- First Published:
