TBM Godavari Makes a Breakthrough at Bangalore’s Majestic Station
35 months after being commissioned from the North Ramp close to Sampige Road Metro station in Bangalore, the ‘Godavari’ Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) today finally made a breakthrough at the northern-end of the Majestic station!
The Coastal-TTS JV which is in-charge of building the Green Line’s tunnels (contract UG1) procured this EPMB TBM from Italy’s SELI and started its 973m journey southward towards the Majestic station on May 21 2013. As per the original plan, Godavari was supposed to make a breakthrough at Majestic and then return back to the North Ramp, but the contractor on the onset ran into difficult tunneling conditions. Due to that, the TBM was only able to advance by an abysmal distance of 352m in the first 13 months, and finally gave up & broke down in June 2014, just south of the railway line in the Lakshmanpuri area.
To keep the Phase 1 project on track, the BMRCL prior to this incident appointed UG2’s contractor, the CEC-SOMA-CICI JV, to use TBM Margarita to excavate & build the down-line tunnel which it completed tunneling on November 7 2015 – see details and images here. Over the next year, the Coastal-TTS JV excavated a 60 feet deep shaft to reach Godavari and ordered a new cutterhead from Italy which got fixed onto it in July 2015 (see details & images of the operation). Subsequently, in September 2015, Godavari cautiously restarted tunneling towards Majestic.
Alignment of North Ramp – Majestic section – view Bangalore Metro map & information
Satellite view of Majestic’s northern TBM receiving shaft where the breakthrough was made:
Photo Copyright: KJ George
Photo Copyright: GOK Updates
Photo Copyright: Deepak Maddy
Photo Copyright: KJ George
Photo Copyright: KJ George
Photo Copyright: Deepak Maddy
Photo Copyright: GOK Updates
Photo Copyright: GOK Updates
Photo Copyright: Shyesh Revankar
Photo Copyright: Kamlesh Rawat
Photo Copyright: Bikashkumar Lenka
Photo Copyright: Bikashkumar Lenka
Photo Copyright: Gopi Yalla
With this breakthrough, the Green Line’s northern leg (Nagasandra – Sampige Road) is now effectively “connected” to the Purple Line at Majestic via the twin tunnels bored by Godavari & Margarita, but it’ll be many more months before train services start, most likely using a single line like done on Delhi’s Violet line between Mandi House & ITO stations.
Now only 2 more breakthroughs by TBM Krishna & TBM Kaveri are left to be made on the Green Line between Chickpete and Majestic. See details of their progress here: Bangalore Metro – April 2016 Tunneling Update.
For more updates, check out the Bangalore section of The Metro Rail Guy!
– TMRG
Who wants to play the guessing game for when Sampige Road – Majestic will open? I say December 2016.
Given BMRCL’s history, I’d frankly be impressed enough if the entire Mysore Road – Byappanahalli stretch is open by then.
Hello TMRG,
I regularly follow your updates. Thank you very much for taking the time to do this.
Would you happen to know if BMRCL has commenced preparation of track beds on the N-S tunnel sections that have been completed so far?
Best,
Hi, yes – they stated track bed laying work inside the southbound line in Dec’ 2016. See images here
Hi TMRG, very sorry to be the one who points out errors, but Dec 2016 is yet to come.!!!
Ooops, I meant 2015! Please feel free to point any errors out – whether in my posts or comments.
If the Green Line’s northern leg (Nagasandra – Sampige Road) is now effectively “connected” to the Purple Line at Majestic via the twin tunnels, why would it take months to make it operational? As i understand, line laying work was happening along with tunneling work. Is that incorrect? What work is still pending?
Hi, it’ll take 30-45 days for the TBM and all its backup gantry, muck-cars and tracks (see example) to be dismantled & removed. Only after that will the track-bed laying work start followed by track, signalling, electrical (via 3rd rail) & telecommunication installation work. This can all together take 4-6 months to be completed.
The BMRCL hasn’t revealed their game plan, but most likely they will only utilize the down-line tunnel, bored by Magenta and completed in Nov ’15, to run services between Sampige Road and Majestic, so the start of services would not be dependent on this tunnel’s internal works.
how many tracks are in the tunnel bored by Magenta,
If they will only utilize the down-line tunnel, bored by Magenta, what is the use of the tunnel bored by Godavari.
Each tunnel has 1 pair of tracks. As the southern leg (Majestic-National College) of the Green line is still under construction, I expect the BMRCL to utilize only one platform at Majestic for efficient services to and from Sampige Road. In the next 2 months, they should reveal their game plan.
It is Margarita. My guess is Apr- May 2017 for both the lines on Sampige rd-Majestic & Nov- Dec 2017 for the RV rd- Majestic.
seeing the history of purple line, even this timeline will be delayed
Any update on Mysore Road to Byappanahalli connectivity ? Still Waiting for approval from CMRS ?
It would give an indication of howmuch time it takes to start Majestic to Nagasandra section…
CMRS’ approval has been received and apparently all suggestions have been met/completed/enforced by BMRCL. Only a matter of a couple more days now.
What’s the status of southern ramp(bw national high school and chikpet stations ) apart frm tunneling work?
Tunneling works on that stretch have been completed and now station roof work at Chickpet and KR Market to cover them is going on – see images here. Chickpet’s northern end will take some more time as Krishna & Kaveri are both tunneling towards Majestic and the soil needs to be extracted from their rear ends – i.e. Chickpet.
Hi,
There is a news piece in Vijaya Karnataka dated 22-Apr-2016 about the opening of Under ground section of EW scheduled for 4th May. Is it confirmed ? http://www.vijaykarnatakaepaper.com/Details.aspx?id=10863&boxid=135827394
Not confirmed by BMRCL or its GM for Finance.
Any update on Kaveri and Krishna TBM?
Hi, if we go by Vasanth Rao’s April 26 update:
TBM Kaveri has 105m remaining ; 1 week progress since April 19 = 9m
TBM Krishna has 249m remaining ; 1 week progress since April 19 = 5m
Any update on north side ramp after final breakthrough of TBM Godavari. I mean what is plan of BMRC on operating this section ?
Yesterday their Chief Public Relation Officer said it’ll be operational in another “2-3 months”, but that’s really not possible. End of year more likely.