TBM S640 Makes a Breakthrough at Kolkata Metro’s Howrah Station

Earlier this month, TBM S640 – a Herrenknecht EPB Tunnel Boring Machine operated by the Afcons-Transtonnelstroy JV for Kolkata Metro’s UG-1 package made a successful breakthrough at the Howrah Railway Station.

The TBM, nicknamed Prerna, was originally commissioned from the Howrah Maidan Station in April 2016 and traveled roughly 550 meters while building approximately 393 rings along the way for the 16.34 km Line-2 between Howrah Maidan and Salt Lake Sector V. It arrived at a special temporary shaft, built for 1 of the 2 parallel tunnels, in January and laid idle for weeks as the shaft was not yet ready to receive it.

Location of the breakthrough at Howrah Station (google is yet to update their imagery):

Kolkata's East-West metro line

Map of Kolkata’s East-West metro line – View detailed Kolkata Metro information & map

Hello..hello!

More images will be added here when available, so do check back.

Following this breakthrough, S640 will now be pushed out and put through repairs. In the coming months, it’ll be re-launched on the other end of the station’s box to start tunneling beneath the Hooghly River towards Strand Road where another TBM shaft will be constructed to receive the TBM within Kolkata’s city limits.

The status of the TBM S639, which is building the parallel down-line tunnel, is unknown at this time. Do watch out for a similar post when it arrives at Howrah Station.

March 10 Update: TBM S639 continued to excavate and build rings beyond the shaft, and is currently within the Howrah Station’s box where its chamber & cutterhead will undergo  maintenance. The TBM is expected to resume tunneling activity on March 20 and reach the Hooghly’s banks by the 1st week of April.

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

– TMRG

written by

Global traveler who prefers mass rapid transit

9 Responses to "TBM S640 Makes a Breakthrough at Kolkata Metro’s Howrah Station"

  1. Siddhant Kumar says:

    So when East delhi section of pink line is expected to open.

    Reply
    • TMRG says:

      Hi, as I’ve said before – its opening is dependent on the completion of land acquisition at 2 spots. Without that, a valid estimate is just not possible.

      Reply
    • Aditya Benwal says:

      Stop asking about east delhi pink line all the tym… no deadline can be given unless the land is acquired.

      Reply
  2. RUPRAJ SENGUPTA says:

    GREAT NEWS ABOUT HOWRAH STATION T.B.M.BREAKTHROUGH CONSIDERING NO OF FRAGILE BUILDINGS IN ITS PATH.WRONG NEWS WAS CIRCULATED THAT PRERANA WOULD CONTINUE BORING WITHOUT BREAKTHROUGH TUNNEL SEGMENTS TO BE DISMANTLED LATER.

    Reply
    • Adri Roy Chowdhury says:

      Yes . It was a possibility , which was even told by TMRG to me , as it took so much time to breakthrough . Same method was adopted incase of Chennai

      Reply
  3. NILOY KUMAR DAS says:

    Can you estimate the year when a commuter can board a metro train from Sector V station and reach Howrah Maidan station ?

    Reply
    • TMRG says:

      With proper construction on Esplanade Station yet to begin, I’m looking at 2021-2022 right now. The elevated section around Salt Lake is expected to open in late 2018-early 2019.

      Reply
  4. Dipayan Banerjee says:

    One of the best Metro Tunneling project in India by ITD – ITD Cem JVfor Kolkata East-West Metro Project – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuLIZeoCyGU&t=1169s

    Reply
  5. krishnan says:

    Tunnel under Ganga river
    ——————————-
    Watch: Its just matter of time when the metro train tunnel work starts under water Ganga R

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZysvwMwdrc

    Countdown Begins: Underwater metro tunnel work likely to begin in 20 Days
    https://youtu.be/CWbLmEf_bEY

    Reply

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