Line 3 (Purple Line) is a rapid transit metro line of the Kolkata Metro in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. A 6.5 kilometres (4.0 mi) stretch from Joka to Taratala of this line was inaugurated on 30 December 2022[3][4] and after extended to Majerhat on 6 March 2024.[5] This line will span 15.08 kilometres (9.37 mi) from Joka in the south to Esplanade in the north with a future southward extension of 3.39 kilometres (2.11 mi) to Diamond Park from Joka.[6] It will connect Blue Line at Park Street in central Kolkata and run in parallel with Blue Line up to Esplanade where it will connect with Green Line also. Line 3 is being built by Rail Vikas Nigam Limited.

Kolkata Metro Line 3
----
Purple Line
Line 3 viaduct along the Diamond Harbour road
Overview
StatusPhase 1 - Operational
Phase 2 - Under Construction
Phase 3 - Planned
OwnerIndian Railways
LocaleIndia Kolkata Metropolitan Region, India
Termini
  • • Diamond Park (South)
  • Esplanade (North)
Connecting linesBlue Line Green Line
Stations14
___
07 (operational)
05 (under construction)
02 (planned)
WebsiteIndian Railways
Service
TypeRapid transit
SystemKolkata Metro
Operator(s)Metro Railway, Kolkata
Depot(s)Joka Metro Depot
Rolling stockICF\MEDHA
Daily ridership615
History
Opened30 December 2022; 22 months ago (2022-12-30)
Last extension6 March 2024; 8 months ago (2024-03-06)
Technical
Line length
  • 18.47 km (11.48 mi)
    -Operational:7.75 km (4.82 mi)
    -Under Construction:7.33 km (4.55 mi)
    -Planned:3.39 km (2.11 mi)[1]
Number of tracks2
Characterelevated and underground
Track gauge5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) broad gauge
Electrification750 V DC using third rail[2]
Operating speed80 km/h (50 mph) (designed)
SignallingCBTC signalling
Route map

Esplanade
Park Street
Victoria
Tolly Canal
Khidirpur
Mominpur
Majerhat
Taratala
Behala Bazar
Behala Chowrasta
Sakher Bazar
Thakurpukur
Joka
IIM Calcutta
Diamond Park

Development

edit
 
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates the Joka-Majerhat stretch of Purple Line of Kolkata Metro on December 30, 2022.

Around 8.5 kilometres (5.3 mi) of the project will be elevated and the rest of 6.32 kilometres (3.93 mi) of the metro line will be underground.[4] The project is getting delayed due to nonavailability of land for the construction of train depot at Joka. In 2019, RVNL was given the land required for building the depot and the construction for its boundary wall and land development started in February 2019.[7] Tenders for its construction and plant & machinery were invited in April 2020.[8]

Construction was further delayed in September 2018 due to the Majerhat Bridge collapse, the metro was being built right next to the bridge.

Tender for Majherhat to Esplanade underground section has been floated in 1st week of December 2019.

By 15 September 2022, the stretch from Joka to Taratala has been fully constructed and electrification has been done. Testing trials are underway from Joka to Taratala using the old decommissioned Metro Rakes. Eventually in service there will be new air conditioned metro rakes. The stretch from Majerhat to Esplanade is under construction.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Joka-Taratala stretch, including Joka metro station of Kolkata Metro's Purple Line on 30 December 2022 in the presence of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Indian Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. Some students from schools especially St Thomas Boys School, whose premises are utilised for planned Khidirpur metro station in this stretch, were granted the rare opportunity to be the first ones to ride in this Joka-Taratala stretch after the inauguration.[9][10][11]

After lot of hardships and developmental work the Taratala-Majerhat section of Kolkata Metro Line 3 was inaugurated on 6 March 2024 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with the truncated sections of Esplanade-Howrah Maidan under Line 2 and Kavi Subhash-Hemanta Mukhopadhyay under Line 6.[12] The Mominpur-Esplanade section is expected to be open in 2028. [13]

List of stations

edit

The work has been sanctioned in 2010-11 for the new Metro line from Joka to B.B.D. Bagh for a length of 16.72 km (10.39 mi) at an anticipated cost of Rs. 2619.02 Crores. But, later the route was shortened and planned to terminate at Esplanade. A separate Depot was built by RVNL in Joka. The tender has gone to Simplex Infrastructures. The extension of this line to IIM and Diamond Park for 2 km (1.2 mi) has been sanctioned in the Budget of 2012–13 at a cost of Rs. 294.49 Cr. The execution of this work has been entrusted to RVNL.

There are 3 phases in this line-

  • Joka to Majherhat (Operational)
  • Majherhat to Esplanade (Under construction)
  • Diamond Park to Joka (Planned)
Line 3 (Purple Line)
No. Station Name Location Phase Opening Connections Layout Coordinates Notes
English Bengali
1 Diamond Park ডায়মন্ড পার্ক Joka 3 Planned   Vivekananda Mission School Bus Stop Elevated
2 IIM Calcutta আইআইএম
3 Joka জোকা Joka 1A Operational   Joka bus Depot

  Diamond Park Bus Stop

Elevated Also known as Diamond Park
4 Thakurpukur ঠাকুরপুকুর Thakurpukur

  Thakurpukur Police Station Bus Stop

  Thakurpukur Bazar Bus Stand

5 Sakher Bazar সখেরবাজার Behala

  Thakurpukur Bus Depot

  Silpara Bus Stop

  Behala Sakherbazar Minibus Stand

  Kadamtala Bus Stand

Also known as Silpara
6 Behala Chowrasta বেহালা চৌরাস্তা

  Behala Chowrasta Bus Stand

7 Behala Bazar বেহালা বাজার

  Behala Bazar Bus Stop

8 Taratala তারাতলা Taratala

  Ajanta Cinema Bus Stop

  Taratala Bus Stand

Also known as Pathakpara
9 Majerhat মাঝেরহাট Majerhat 1B   Majerhat Station

  DH Road Mint Bus Stop

  Majherhat Gurudwara Bus Stop

10 Mominpur মোমিনপুর Mominpore 2A Under Construction   Mominpore Bus Stop Elevated
11 Khidirpur খিদিরপুর Kidderpore 2B   Khidderpore Bus Stop Underground
12 Victoria ভিক্টোরিয়া Maidan   Victoria Memorial Bus Stop

  PG Hospital Bus Stop

  Birla Planetarium Bus Stop

Also known as Hastings
13 Park Street পার্ক স্ট্রিট Park Street Blue Line
  Park Street (U/C)
----
  Park Street Bus Stop
14 Esplanade এসপ্ল্যানেড Esplanade Blue Line
  Esplanade
Green Line
  Esplanade
----

  Esplanade Bus Terminus (WBTC,SBSTC,NBSTC)

  Esplanade Tram Depot

International Bus Terminus. Also known as Dharmatala / Chowringhee
edit

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ "Kolkata Metro Map".
  2. ^ "CAF to supply Kolkata metro trains". Railway Gazette. 9 September 2012. Retrieved 6 September 2018.
  3. ^ "Kolkata Metro: First glimpse of Joka-Taratala route in pics". mint. 30 December 2022. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  4. ^ a b Bandyopadhyay, Krishnendu; Chakraborty, Ajanta (10 June 2019). "Kolkata: Work on fast track as East-West Metro eyes new links in next two years | Kolkata News - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 28 June 2019.
  5. ^ "PM Modi unveils multiple metro projects, including Kolkata underwater corridor". The Hindu. 6 March 2024. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
  6. ^ "Kolkata Metro Line 3".
  7. ^ Bandyopadhyay, Krishnendu (1 March 2019). "Work begins at Joka Metro depot, wall built | Kolkata News - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 28 June 2019.
  8. ^ "RVNL Invites Bids for Kolkata Metro Line-3's Joka Depot". The Metro Rail Guy. 28 April 2020. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
  9. ^ "Kolkata Metro: First glimpse of Joka-Taratala route in pics". www.livemint.com. 30 December 2022. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  10. ^ "In-pics: Inaugration of Vande Bharat Express, Joka-Taratala Metro & more news from Kolkata". www.telegraphindia.com. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
  11. ^ "Another school demands Metro route tweak". The Times of India. 18 December 2020. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
  12. ^ "Hope for ops start of three new Metro links in March first week". The Times of India. 19 February 2024. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
  13. ^ MP, Team (10 October 2023). "RVNL targets completion of Majerhat to Esplanade Metro stretch within 48 months". www.millenniumpost.in. Retrieved 17 March 2024.