Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation (KMRC) has initiated the final sealing works at Esplanade station, moving a step closer to the full operationalisation of the 16.6-kilometre East-West Metro corridor connecting Sector V to Howrah Maidan. The closing of the last remaining access shafts marks a critical milestone in what has been one of India’s most technically complex and delayed urban rail projects.
The two shafts at Esplanade station—originally excavated in 2019 to house the massive tunnel boring machines (TBMs) named Urvi and Chundi—have remained operational long after their tunnelling purpose concluded. Now, five years on, these shafts are being permanently sealed, setting the stage for the final phase of the metro line’s readiness.Civil engineers associated with the project say the process is being completed using a combination of reinforced concrete slabs and steel hatch covers. These will serve both as structural closures and as emergency access points, fulfilling modern metro safety standards. The larger shaft, once measuring over 10 metres on each side, has been narrowed significantly to optimise underground space usage, especially for interchange connectivity with the North-South line at Esplanade. The smaller shaft, built for the east-bound tunnel, is also being capped.
Unusually, KMRC took the calculated decision to proceed with signalling work, electrification, and train trials on the Sealdah–Esplanade stretch even before sealing these shafts—an approach that defied traditional metro commissioning protocols, which require shaft closures well in advance of electrification to ensure worker safety. However, in a high-pressure urban construction environment and with limited operational bandwidth, this concurrent work strategy proved effective in saving time.The final leg of the East-West Metro, a 2.6-kilometre stretch between Esplanade and Sealdah, had been delayed for years due to land acquisition bottlenecks, realignment decisions, and challenging subsoil conditions beneath some of Kolkata’s busiest and oldest neighbourhoods. Engineers describe the tunnel alignment under the Hooghly River and heritage precincts as among the most difficult attempted in India to date.
Since the March 2024 launch of the Howrah Maidan–Esplanade section, the remaining stretch has seen intensified civil and system integration works. Officials now confirm that sealing will be completed by July 2025, after which the full East-West Metro is expected to enter revenue service—bringing a seamless connection between IT hubs, residential belts, and business zones across the twin banks of the river.Urban mobility analysts regard the completion of this link as a transformative upgrade for Kolkata’s public transport ecosystem. The corridor is expected to reduce surface congestion, lower travel time significantly between the city’s east and west ends, and cut carbon emissions from thousands of private and intermediate transport vehicles. Once fully operational, it will serve as a model for other dense Indian cities facing challenges of infrastructure retrofitting in heritage-rich zones.
As the final concrete slabs are laid and the shafts sealed shut, the focus will shift to commissioning approvals and last-mile connectivity improvements. For commuters and planners alike, the East-West Metro promises not just a new transit option, but a glimpse into what a modern, multimodal, and environmentally conscious urban future could look like.
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