The Orange Line's Phase II extension, from Ruby to Sector V, has faced delays, with the revised deadline now set for March 2025. RVNL, the implementing agency, acknowledged that an 800m viaduct gap at Chingrighata and a 125m gap at Metropolitan have hindered progress. Despite these setbacks, the project has overcome significant land hurdles and received safety approval for the Ruby-Metropolitan section. The 29km line is expected to eventually connect New Garia to the city airport, but several gaps in the viaduct, caused by land issues, have prolonged the construction process.
The deadline for the Orange Line's Phase II extension, from Ruby to Sector V, has been revised to March 2025. RVNL, the implementing agency, had initially aimed to complete the 4km extension beyond the Metropolitan on the EM Bypass to Sector V on Salt Lake Bypass by December 2024. However, it has acknowledged that the work cannot be completed by the end of this year due to an 800m viaduct gap that still needs to be bridged at Chingrighata.
Work is currently ongoing to bridge the remaining 125m gap in this section at Metropolitan. Over the past year, the corridor has successfully overcome several crucial land-related challenges at Tagore Park, Metropolitan, Chingrighata, and Nicco Park. Additionally, it has obtained the necessary safety approval from the Commission of Railway Safety (CRS) for revenue operations along the 4.5km Ruby-Metropolitan section.
Earlier this week, it was reported that RVNL had been allocated the highest budgetary funds of INR 1,791 crore for this fiscal year, prompting a revision of its Phase II plans. A Railway official stated that it would be more practical to begin the 8.5km extended Orange Line. This would provide the corridor with an interchange at Sector V with both the East-West Metro and the Green Line.
The 29km Orange Line, or Kolkata's Line 6, was approved in 2010 and initially commenced a truncated 5.4km service from New Garia (Kavi Subhas station) to Ruby Crossing (Hemanta Mukhopadhyay station) on March 15 earlier this year. Eventually, the corridor is set to link the North-South New Garia terminal with the city airport, via the EM Bypass and New Town. However, multiple gaps in the viaduct have been caused by land-related issues.
After Ruby Crossing, at Tagore Park, there was a 76m gap, which has now been filled with a hanging bridge across a canal. The next significant gap occurred at Metropolitan. Even earlier this year, there were still challenges beyond the Metro station at Metropolitan (officially known as Beleghata). As pointed out by the CRS, the corridor lacked the required 90m viaduct beyond the station, which is necessary for eight-car rakes to switch tracks.
In June, traffic police handed over the Metropolitan site to facilitate the construction of the last two piers - 288 and 289. The process of launching the girder was also underway. Last year, another major obstacle was overcome at Chingrighata, where work on pier 318 had been delayed for years due to its location in the middle of the crossing. The subsequent pillar, pier 319, was constructed earlier this year. In June, RVNL also received a traffic block to build the platforms for the Nicco Park station. A Railway official mentioned that the plan was to request CRS inspection by December. However, this will now be postponed to early next year, after which the Ruby-Sector V section is expected to be launched.
Despite the challenges faced in bridging gaps and land-related issues, the Orange Line's Phase II extension is progressing steadily. The revised timeline for completion reflects the complexities of the project, but with crucial milestones already achieved, including land acquisition and safety approvals, the extension is set to significantly enhance Kolkata's metro connectivity. Once completed, the 8.5km extension will provide a much-needed interchange at Sector V, connecting with other metro lines and improving the overall transport infrastructure.
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