The Kolkata Metro Purple Line project has reached a major construction milestone with Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) Durga successfully completing its breakthrough at Victoria Station. The achievement marks the completion of one of the underground tunnel drives between Khidderpore and Victoria, advancing the Joka–Esplanade Metro Corridor toward completion.
The tunnelling work began on 10 July 2025 from Khidderpore and was completed exactly one year later. The breakthrough took place at around 10:30 am on 10 July 2026 in the presence of Prem Sagar Gupta, General Manager, Metro Railway, Kolkata. Following this milestone, the TBM will continue its journey beneath the Kolkata Maidan toward Park Street, where the next phase of tunnelling will be undertaken.
The 18.84-km Purple Line is being developed to connect Joka with Esplanade, improving connectivity across southern and central Kolkata. At present, an approximately 7.74-km elevated section between Joka and Majerhat is operational, while construction continues on the underground stretch from Majerhat to Esplanade.
The completed breakthrough forms part of the UG1 underground package, a 5.05-km section extending from Mominpur to Esplanade. This underground segment is among the most technically demanding portions of the project due to dense urban surroundings and complex geological conditions.
Once the corridor is fully operational, Esplanade Station will become Kolkata’s first interchange station connecting three metro lines. It will integrate the Purple Line (Line 3) with the Blue Line (Dakshineswar–Kavi Subhash) and the Green Line (Howrah Maidan–Sector V), enabling seamless passenger transfers and improving network efficiency.
The successful completion of this tunnel drive represents a significant step in expanding Kolkata’s metro network, with the remaining underground works expected to progress at an accelerated pace, bringing the city’s comprehensive rapid transit system closer to completion.
Image- pib.gov.in
