Kolkata Metro’s Orange Line Phase II deadline moved to March 2025

08 Nov 2024 CW Team

The completion date for the Orange Line's Phase II extension, stretching from Ruby to Sector V, has been shifted to March 2025. Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd. (RVNL), the agency overseeing the project, initially aimed for a December 2024 deadline but cited a delay in bridging an 800-meter viaduct gap at Chingrighata as the reason for the revised schedule.

Work to bridge an additional 125-meter gap at Metropolitan is ongoing. Despite land challenges at locations such as Tagore Park, Chingrighata, and Nicco Park, the corridor received safety approval from the Commission of Railway Safety (CRS) for operations on the 4.5 km Ruby-to-Metropolitan stretch.

In this fiscal year, RVNL received a significant budget allocation of Rs 17.91 billion and adjusted its plans to create an 8.5 km Orange Line extension that will connect with the East-West Metro (Green Line) at Sector V.

The 29 km Orange Line, also known as Line 6, began service on a limited 5.4 km route from New Garia to Ruby crossing in March. This line will ultimately connect New Garia to the city airport, moving through EM Bypass and New Town. Several viaduct gaps due to land issues have been addressed, including a critical gap at Tagore Park, bridged with a suspended crossing over a canal.

Construction challenges at Chingrighata and Nicco Park delayed work on piers and platforms, but recent permissions have allowed progress. RVNL now anticipates seeking CRS inspection in early 2025, with the Ruby-to-Sector V section expected to open shortly after. (ET)

Equipment

11 Dec 2025

Caterpillar Debuts Three New Cat Excavators at EXCON 2025

Caterpillar Inc., a global leader in construction and mining machinery, strengthened its commitment to India’s infrastructure growth with the debut of three new Cat® hydraulic excavators at EXCON 2025, held from December 9–13 at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre. The new models—Cat 321, Cat 322 and Cat 324—mark a significant step forward in delivering efficient, digital-ready equipment tailored for India’s evolving construction needs.Designed to support sustainability and productivity on modern jobsites, the machines feature advanced powertrains and intelligent electrohy..

JK Tyre Expands OTR Lineup with Four New Launches at EXCON 2025

JK Tyre & Industries, one of India’s leading tyre manufacturers, introduced four new Off-the-Road (OTR) tyres at the 13th edition of CII EXCON 2025, South Asia’s largest construction equipment exhibition, underway at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre. The latest additions strengthen the company’s OTR portfolio and reaffirm its focus on delivering advanced mobility solutions for construction, mining and industrial operations.The new tyres were unveiled by R Mukhopadhyay, Director (R&D), JK Tyre. Among the highlights was the debut of the SKY GRIP, a specialised tyre des..

ACE, Sanghvi Movers Ink MOU to Boost India-Made Heavy Crane Adoption

Action Construction Equipment (ACE), the world’s largest pick-and-carry crane manufacturer and a leading Indian construction equipment maker, has entered into a strategic Memorandum of Understanding with Sanghvi Movers, Asia’s largest and the world’s fifth-largest crane rental company. The partnership aims to accelerate the deployment of indigenously manufactured heavy slew cranes, particularly truck cranes and crawler cranes, across large-scale infrastructure and industrial projects in India.The alliance aligns strongly with the Government of India’s “Aatmanirbhar Bharat” and “M..