Kolkata Metro breakthrough: TBM ‘Durga’ completes key tunnel drive, brings Joka-Esplanade corridor closer to reality

The breakthrough marks the completion of one of the underground tunnel drives between Khidderpore and Victoria, bringing the city’s ambitious metro expansion project a step closer to completion.

"The breakthrough achieved today is a key step towards strengthening Kolkata’s urban mass transit network and advancing one of the city’s most important Metro expansion projects," the Ministry said in a statement.

Key Highlights:

• TBM ‘Durga’ successfully completed its tunnelling operation at Victoria Metro Station.
• The breakthrough marks the completion of the Khidderpore-Victoria underground tunnel stretch, with tunnelling work having started on July 10, 2025.
• The achievement reflects engineering excellence, precision planning and effective coordination among various stakeholders.
• The tunnelling work was carried out while maintaining strict safety and quality standards, with minimal disruption to surface traffic.

The Joka-Esplanade Metro Corridor is expected to significantly improve east-west connectivity in Kolkata by linking the southern parts of the city with the central business district. Once operational, the corridor will provide faster, safer and more sustainable public transport, helping reduce travel time and ease road congestion.

The successful breakthrough of TBM ‘Durga’ adds to a series of major milestones achieved by Kolkata Metro in recent weeks.

Earlier, Kolkata Metro successfully bridged the critical 62-metre viaduct gap at Chingrighata on the Kavi Subhash-Airport (Orange Line) corridor, removing a major construction hurdle and paving the way for faster progress towards completion of the line.