ISGEC Begins Work on Kolkata Metro Line-3’s Joka Depot

ISGEC Heavy Engineering Ltd. has started construction work on Joka Depot of Kolkata Metro’s 15.215 km Line-3 which will connect Joka and Esplanade through 14 stations.

Joka Depot is being built on a 24.5 hectare land parcel and will consist of 12 stabling lines with a provision to build an additional 11 lines in the future, 2 inspection bays (2 x 220m x 27m, 8 lines), 2 lifting bays (220m x 20m), 2 workshop bays (220m x 25m), one bogie shop (22m x 17m), a turn-table and a 60m x 8m automatic coach washing plant.

Construction work on Line-3’s elevated viaduct started way back in 2011 by Simplex Infrastructures for 2 packages (4.748 km Joka – Behala and 4.762 km Behala – Mominpur), but like other sites across Kolkata, Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd. (RVNL) had faced severe land acquisition hurdles here with local villagers refusing to accept the compensation offered to them.

With that issue mostly sorted out, RVNL in August awarded ISGEC a Rs. 350.89 crore contract with a 24 month deadline after they emerged as the lowest bidder among 7 firms. The depot’s architectural drawing supplied in the tender documents back then wasn’t that clear, but here it is for whatever it’s worth –

Architectural drawing of Joka Depot (view large) – view Kolkata Metro Line-3 info & map

RVNL tweeted out the following images on Tuesday. For reference DMC = Direct Mud Circulation Rigs and TMR = Truck Mounted Rigs.

For the construction of the Metro car depot for the 14.32 km Joka-Esplanade metro corridor #RVNL has deployed 16 DMC rigs, 12 TMR rigs and 2 hydraulic rigs. Work on the project is in full swing. #Project #railway #infrastructure #commitment #citylife #engineering #cityofjoy

view large

The depot is located at the extreme southern-end of the line – view old satellite imagery here.

The line’s viaduct is ready from Joka Station to Taratala Mint (south of Majerhat Station) with 6 stations at Joka, Thakurpukur, Sakherbazar, Behala Chowrasta, Behala Bazar and Taratala. On the systems side of things, pre-engineering building (PEB) roof works have been installed at all stations except Behala Bazaar per follower Rupraj in the comments section, while track laying works and station E&M works are underway.

Work on the most important metro station of this section at Majerhat, which will connect to the local railway station on the Sealdah – Budge Budge line, is in a nascent stage of construction. With civil work on the depot just commencing, I don’t see any part of Line-3, with or without Majerhat, opening for operations any sooner than 2023. With the way things work in Kolkata, possibly even 2024.

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

– TMRG

written by

Global traveler who prefers mass rapid transit

8 Responses to "ISGEC Begins Work on Kolkata Metro Line-3’s Joka Depot"

  1. Vishal Kumar says:

    1)When can we expect Quality buildcon to begin their work on Patna metro depot??
    2)If the construction work of patna metro depot start in Q1:21 they will obviously finish their work before Kolkata metro jola depot..
    3)Pilling work for patna metro has started at only at Bhootnath locatilty when can we expect others parts of the priority corridors to go in the stage of pilling.

    Reply
    • TMRG says:

      1) Land acquisition for depot’s land reportedly just got started
      2) Let’s see!
      3) Not sure – I’m not actively tracking where the piling rigs will head to next

      Reply
  2. Rupraj Sengupta says:

    Roof works still has not begun on behala bazaar station,on the other hand line 6 pragati maidan police station holding up work for three piers have been cleared opp science city the file kept circulating for 4years 🧐

    Reply
  3. Clevin Gomes says:

    TMRG, What about the Banglore Metro Pink Line’s Kothanur Depot. ISGEC have awarded that contract too. What’s the status of Kothanur Depot?

    Reply
    • TMRG says:

      Haven’t seen a recent site pic – not sure if civil work has started. Piers are under construction leading up to it for the depot-line.

      Reply
  4. Rupraj Sengupta says:

    Another thing they should build an at grade station at the depot which will help thousands bakrahat road which is the approach road to the depot has many new housing projects schools !

    Reply

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