Kolkata’s Purple Line has overcome a significant legal obstacle, as the Calcutta High Court dismissed an appeal on July 3, allowing Metro construction agency RVNL to take possession of a DH Road property essential for completing the Kidderpore metro station, which forms part of the Joka–Esplanade corridor. The tenants of the affected building are now expected to vacate within two weeks, clearing the path for essential utility work and alignment modifications.
The contested site at 1 National Library Avenue on DH Road–Ekbalpore crossing was previously acquired by City Properties Pvt Ltd. The owner received compensation and handed over the property to RVNL in November 2024. However, its occupants launched a court challenge, delaying progress. The High Court division bench, comprising Justices Debanshu Basak and Prasenjit Biswas, affirmed Metro’s title based on the owner’s consent and ordered immediate vacation with police assistance if needed. RVNL’s counsel confirmed that the land is required to facilitate widening of Diamond Harbour Road, enabling the construction of a 60 metre ramp necessary for the Purple Line’s elevated stretch. This resolution removes a key barrier to laying the final elevated station at Mominpur, with tunnelling to follow into central Kolkata.
The Purple Line currently runs a 7.7 kilometre elevated section from Joka to Majerhat, executed by RVNL. The stalled segment through Kidderpore was impeding alignment cohesion and utility infrastructure upgrades. Now, with the court’s clearance, Mumbai-headquartered RVNL is free to restart earthworks at the DH Road junction and shift utilities to accommodate metro infrastructure. This land clearance is complemented by parallel progress at Esplanade station, where the Defence Ministry has approved relocation of the L20 bus stand to Curzon Park. This transaction ensures RVNL can continue elevated structure work near the city centre without obstruction.
The Purple Line’s final stretch is a strategic connector linking southern suburbs such as Joka and Behala to central business corridors. Once extended through Kidderpore, Victoria Memorial, Park Street, and Esplanade, it will seamlessly intersect existing Blue and Green Lines, enhancing commuter interchange options. Operationalising Kidderpore station will save time for approximately 44,000 daily commuters, according to metro forecasts, and relieve chronic congestion along Diamond Harbour Road and local buses.
But alternative approaches are being considered. Public works planners may explore alignment shifts or station omissions if land acquisition delays persist. Skipping Kidderpore may necessitate installing a ventilation and emergency shaft along the five kilometre underground corridor from Mominpur to Esplanade. RVNL’s tunnelling operation has already commenced, with the deployment of German-engineered Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) from St Thomas’s Boys School, intended to carve the underground sections up to Victoria and Park Street stations. Despite initial delays at Kidderpore, the TBMs are expected to begin drilling in the coming weeks.
Similarly, the shift of the Esplanade bus stand to Curzon Park—a 3,224 square metre site nearly 1,000 square metres larger than the earlier location—provides the necessary workspace for station construction near the city centre. The Purple Line is more than urban infrastructure; it forms a central pillar in Kolkata’s transition to low-carbon, equitable mobility. By replacing slow-moving road transport in heavily congested corridors, the metro offers cleaner air, shorter commutes, and greater access to employment hubs in the city core. Station designs incorporate gender-neutral and accessible features—lifts, tactile paving, and barrier-free layouts—to ensure inclusivity across socio-economic lines, reflecting the city’s broader vision of equitable urban growth.
Even as Kidderpore land issues resolve, obtaining land at Alipore Bodyguard Lines for the station’s underground entry remains pending, as the state opposes its use. Any further delay could affect station rollout and may trigger alignment modifications. In such a scenario, planners may consolidate station functions or add emergency ventilation shafts as compensation. The Commissioner of Railway Safety will need to approve any revised station layout. The accelerated progress—evidenced by judicial clearance and bus stand realignment—is generating renewed confidence. Infrastructure analysts believe that once Kidderpore land is formally handed over and site works resume, the timeline for Purple Line’s central stretch could align with the broader Kolkata metro expansion schedule.
For commuters, the promise is profound: seamless travel from southern residential zones into Kolkata’s financial and judicial districts, saving time and reducing reliance on polluting city buses. In the final analysis, clearing this litigation hurdle is a critical step toward the Purple Line’s completion. As RVNL prepares to resume construction and tunnelling activity continues under close scrutiny, Kolkata edges closer to a transformative metro corridor designed for innovation, inclusion, and urban resilience.
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