Metro Railway announced the completion of tunnelling on the Purple Line section between Kidderpore and Victoria in Kolkata. The Tunnel Boring Machine named Durga achieved a breakthrough at the proposed Victoria Metro station after a year of work. The TBM will now continue its journey beneath Kolkata Maidan towards Park Street, connecting with the existing Blue Line that extends to Esplanade and beyond.
The breakthrough occurred around 10.30 a.m. in the presence of various officials, including the General Manager of Metro Railway, Kolkata, Prem Sagar Gupta. Notable attendees included the Consul General of Nepal, the Commissioner of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, the Commissioner of Police, Howrah, and senior officials from Metro Railway, Rail Vikas Nigam Limited, and L&T, the executing agency.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw praised the engineering achievement, sharing a video of the breakthrough on X. A senior Metro official highlighted the meticulous planning, teamwork, and dedication of all stakeholders involved in the project, emphasizing the significance of this milestone in enhancing Kolkata’s urban transport infrastructure.
Acknowledging the project personnel’s commitment and teamwork, the Metro Railway General Manager commended their safe, methodical, and efficient tunnelling work while upholding high standards of quality and safety without disrupting surface traffic movement. The Purple Line’s progress has been hindered by land acquisition issues and pending permission from the Local Military Authority overseeing the Maidan, where some clubs were temporarily relocated for construction purposes.
The Joka-Esplanade Metro corridor features an elevated viaduct from Joka to Kidderpore, transitioning to an underground alignment beyond. Operations are already active between Joka and Majerhat, benefiting numerous commuters. Once finalized, the project is expected to serve a large population residing along Diamond Harbour Road and nearby areas.
