(Pics) D-Wall Construction Underway for Kolkata Metro’s Esplanade Stn

Here’s a picture-post on the ongoing diaphragm wall (D-wall) construction work taking place for the new underground Esplanade Station on Kolkata Metro’s 16.34 km Line-2.

Designed by RITES, the new station is being built underneath the Esplanade Tram Depot’s land, and in its first stage connect up with the existing Line-1’s Esplanade Station to allow easy transfers. In the future, an additional underground station box will be constructed here to serve as the northern terminal of the 15.75 km Joka – Esplanade line (Line-3), making it the city’s first 3-line interchange, and depending on its completion timeframe, perhaps India’s second after Delhi’s Kashmere Gate Station which just got connected with a 3rd line in May.

Ground work for its construction by ITD-ITD Cem JV was inaugurated in June 2017 by the then Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu. First a guide-wall was built around the site, which is now being followed by excavation, slurry cleaning, desanding, reinforcement cage lowering and finally the pouring of concrete – one panel at a time.

Location of Esplanade Station on Line-2 (shown in Blue) – view Kolkata Map & Information

Some images shot over the past 45 days –

Photo Copyright: Saritha

Photo Copyright: Saritha

Photo Copyright: Metro Rail Kolkata

Photo Copyright: Saritha

Photo Copyright: Saritha

Reinforced (rebar) cage getting picked up for lowering – Photo Copyright: Saritha

Getting lowered for a panel – Photo Copyright: Saritha

Photo Copyright: V Mondal

Here’s my go-to video to demonstrate how D-walls are built –

Once the diaphragm walls are ready and soil excavation is carried out in Q1 2018, the station shaft will become structurally ready to receive Afcons Infrastructure’s TBMs S-639 (Rachna) and S-640 (Prerna) on the west-side from Mahakaran Station, as well as allow ITD Cem’s TBMs S-615 and S-616 to be lowered and commissioned on the east-side for building the roughly 2.20 km Esplanade – Sealdah twin tunnels.

For more updates, check out the Kolkata section of The Metro Rail Guy!

– TMRG

written by

Global traveler who prefers mass rapid transit

5 Responses to "(Pics) D-Wall Construction Underway for Kolkata Metro’s Esplanade Stn"

  1. Abhijit says:

    Here is a video giving the full picture: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCax6waC4bg

    Reply
  2. RUPRAJ SENGUPTA says:

    While afcons &itd is making excellent progress the underground portion of the joka esplanade line starting from mominpore has still not been tendered by RVNL

    Reply
  3. Subroto Sen says:

    what is the status of joka esplanade line. Is the work is going on or it has stopped due to some issues.

    Reply
    • TMRG says:

      Construction is underway on the Joka – Mominpore section only. As Rupraj highlighted above, RVNL has not yet invited tenders for the Mominpore – Esplanade section’s construction.

      Without that, Line-3 will function independently whenever it gets launched in the next 2-3 years.

      Reply

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