The Joka–Esplanade New Garia Metro Rail project, also known as Kolkata Metro’s Purple Line, is progressing rapidly, officials from Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) have said. RVNL is the agency responsible for executing the underground corridor.
TBM ‘Durga’ clears critical RCTC stretch
Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) ‘Durga’ began tunnelling from Kidderpore towards Esplanade in July and reached beneath the Royal Calcutta Turf Club (RCTC) around November. The machine has now safely crossed the heritage racecourse zone while moving forward along its planned route.
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Heritage concerns addressed with strict monitoring
The TBM had to pass beneath the heritage stands of RCTC, built in 1901–02, which required extra caution. Live monitoring sensors were installed on the structures to detect even minor ground settlement. According to RVNL sources, the tunnelling was completed smoothly, without any impact on the heritage structures.
The approximately 600-metre stretch beneath the racecourse was completed in about two months. Following this, TBM ‘Durga’ has now started moving towards Victoria Memorial Station. The route ahead is straight and free of major obstructions.
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Twin TBMs and construction timeline
The second TBM, ‘Dibya’, is constructing the parallel tunnel and has currently reached Tolly Nala. It is expected to reach RCTC by February. While ‘Durga’ is scheduled to reach Victoria by June 2026, ‘Dibya’ is expected to arrive there by December 2026.
RVNL has set December 2026 as the deadline for completing the first phase of tunnelling from Kidderpore to Victoria. Tunnel work up to Park Street is expected to be completed by March 2027. TBMs will not be used for the Park Street–Esplanade section. Once the 1.7-km tunnel between Kidderpore and Park Street is completed, the tunnelling phase using TBMs will conclude.the coldest in two years.
