Kolkata: KMRC Begins Sealing Final Shafts At Esplanade Station, Paving Way For Full Sector V–Howrah Maidan Metro Link

The Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation (KMRC) has begun sealing the final shafts at Esplanade station, bringing the city a step closer to a seamless 16.6 km corridor from Sector V to Howrah Maidan, according to a Times of India report.

The two vertical shafts, nearly 98 feet deep, were originally excavated in early 2019 to deploy the giant tunnel borers Chundi and Urvi.

Now, more than five years later, KMRC is preparing to close them permanently.

The work will be over by July, according to KMRC officials cited in the ToI report.

The Esplanade-Sealdah stretch, covering the last 2.6 km of the East-West route, has been constructed under considerable logistical pressure.

Unlike typical metro procedures where shafts are sealed off months before electrification to ensure safety, civil contractors ITD-ITD Cementation took a calculated risk by allowing train trials and infrastructure work such as electric cabling and signalling to proceed concurrently.

The larger of the two shafts, which initially measured 10.5m x 10.5m for the west-bound tunnel, has since been reduced to 5.6m x 4m to subway linking East-West and North-South lines at Esplanade station more spacious.

The smaller, east-bound shaft measures 3.1 sq m. Both are being covered with a combination of concrete slabs and steel hatch covers for emergency access.

Since the March 2024 inauguration of the Esplanade–Howrah Maidan stretch by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, these shafts have remained in use, allowing workers access to the incomplete Esplanade–Sealdah section.

With their closure imminent, the long-delayed link is finally ready for revenue service, marking a pivotal moment in Kolkata’s urban transit expansion.

Also Read: Delhi Metro Achieves Breakthrough On 792-Metre Tunnel Between Maa Anandmayee Marg And Tughlakabad On Golden Line