Metro Railway Extends Yellow Line to Airport
Metro Railway in Kolkata, armed with clearances from the Airports Authority of India (AAI), has invited bids for the extension of the Yellow Line. This extension will cover a distance of 6.8 km from the Airport to Birati. The contract for this project, worth Rs 13.30 billion, includes the construction of the Birati and Michael Nagar stations.
Metro Progressively Overcoming Obstacles
After missing several deadlines, the metro line extension seems to be making progress in overcoming hurdles. A recent news report titled “Airport Raises the Bar, Barasat Metro Vaults Past Height Hurdle” highlighted significant advancements in the project. The height restrictions for cranes needed in construction have been resolved, and the AAI has granted permission for metro work outside the airport premises.
Extension Plan
The Yellow Line’s extension starts at Noapara and is planned to end at Barasat, passing through the airport. The recent invitation for bids is regarding the civil construction of the 6.8 km underground extension of the Yellow Line from Biman Bandar Airport to Birati. This is possible after AAI cleared the use of 18-meter-tall cranes for the Noapara-Barasat line’s segment between Airport-New Barrackpore.
Furthermore, the AAI has also issued the anticipated No Objection Certificate (NOC) for work between the airport and Michael Nagar. However, discussions are still ongoing to resolve the issue concerning the New Barrackpore station’s location, as it is situated on the flight path near the main runway’s northern end.
The Contract Details
According to a metro official, this Rs 13.30 billion contract is part of the Yellow Line’s extension to Barasat in Kolkata’s north-eastern suburbs. It involves the construction of a 3.6 km metro tunnel, an underground metro station building at Birati, and subway work for Birati and Michael Nagar stations. The selected bidder is expected to complete the entire project within the span of two-and-a-half years.
The metro tunnel will be built along the boundary wall of the city airport and will utilize the RCC (reinforced cement concrete) box-pushing method instead of tunnel boring machines (TBMs). The Birati station, on the other hand, will be constructed using the cut-and-cover method.
With this extension of the Yellow Line, Kolkata’s metro network will experience substantial growth, connecting more areas and improving the overall public transportation system.
