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4d ago

Underground Tunnelling Begins at Khidderpore for Kolkata Metro’s Purple Line

Tunnelling beneath Khidderpore by TBM Durga initiates the underground section of a new corridor that will link South Kolkata with the city centre by late 2026.

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Overview

  • TBM Durga commenced boring from the 37-metre-deep launch shaft at St. Thomas School on July 10, marking the shift to active underground excavation.
  • A second machine, TBM Divya, is slated to start shortly to carve the parallel down-line tunnel from the same shaft.
  • The first 1.7-km phase toward Victoria remains on track for a breakthrough by May 2026.
  • The subsequent 950-metre drive to Park Street is scheduled for completion by December 2026, followed by a cut-and-cover link to Esplanade.
  • Each 95-metre, 600-tonne Earth Pressure Balancing machine was assembled in Chennai to tackle Kolkata’s soft soil and high groundwater under enhanced safety protocols.