Design rejig for Purple Line's IIM-C extn to aid N-S link
Kolkata: The Purple Line Metro extension to IIM-Calcutta is undergoing significant design modifications following the appointment of new consultants, considering the proposed linking of this corridor with the Blue Line (North-South Metro).
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STUP Consultants, the newly-appointed engineering and project delivery firm, recommended replacing single piers with portal piers (two-legged pillars) for the viaduct construction to ensure a stronger foundation. This structural modification anticipates the future Metro line that will connect IIM-Calcutta station to Diamond Park, eventually linking to the North-South Metro's Tollygunge station via Thakurpukur Cancer Hospital.
RVNL has submitted a proposal before the Railway Board to connect the Purple Line with the Blue Line (North-South Metro) through the IIM-C to Diamond Park route, continuing to Thakurpukur Cancer Hospital and terminating at Tollygunge station.
"The project's revised design reflects long-term planning for the city's expanding Metro system, ensuring structural compatibility with future line integrations while maintaining efficient public transportation access from the southern suburbs to the central business district (CBD)," a Railways official said.
RVNL (Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd), the railways-owned company implementing the Purple Line, is revising its bidding documents for the 1.6 km Joka to IIM-C section to accommodate these changes. The immediate focus remains on finalising contracts for the elevated 1.6 km stretch, which includes constructing a Metro station around 100 m from the IIM-C campus on DH Road.
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