Delhi Metro Phase 3 – June 2016 Tunneling Update

I just got back from a vacation with great food & company, so excuse my absence & the delay in publishing this month’s tunneling update! Updates will start flowing in as usual.

All the data in this post is correct as of June 1 and details from the May update can be viewed here. Beneath each table, I’ve included additional notes with information. In case you’re unaware of Delhi’s geography or need a map to help visualize what goes where, then you can refer to the Delhi Metro Phase 3 page & map or the DMRC’s Phase 3 map.

According to the DMRC, 48.06 km of the 190 km Phase 1 & 2 network is underground. In Phase 3, 53.835 km of the 160.574 km project is being built underground. Phase 3 includes a total of 40 sections of which 38 have/will be built using a Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM). That’s a total of 76 tunneling drives. The other 2 significant sections not being constructed by a TBM are:

1) Kalkaji Mandir – Lotus (Bahá’í) Temple shaft – This section on the Magenta line has been constructed using the New Austrian Tunneling method (NATM) which has previously been used to tunnel underneath the Ridge for the Airport Express line and beneath Chawri Bazar and Saket for the Yellow line.

2) Nizamuddin Station – Ring Road shaft – This section is being constructed by the cut and cover method – see Google Earth satellite imagery.

Here’s a line wise update on different sections:

Blue Line – Line 3 – Dwarka – Najafgarh

Contract	Contractor	Station/Shaft	Station/Shaft	Status
CC-66	HCC	Sai Baba Mandir Shaft	Najafgarh/MCD	In Progress

Number of Pending TBM Breakthroughs: 2

This section was a late addition to Phase 3. The Letter of Acceptance to the contractor was given on 11.04.2014 with a completion deadline of 20.04.2017. Tunneling on the westbound tunnel began on November 2 2015 – see: Delhi Metro Starts Tunneling on Najafgarh Branch of the Blue Line. As of the morning of June 1, 451 rings (631 m) have been built out of 475 rings (665 m). Tunneling work slowed down last month due to unexpected mixed face geological conditions and the 1st breakthrough is now expected to take place by the end of this month or early next month. Construction on this small new section of the Blue line is progressing on schedule but is slowly showing signs of an impending delay.

Violet Line – Line 6 – Central Secretariat – Kashmere Gate

Contract	Contractor	Station/Shaft	Station/Shaft	Status
CC-01	Pratibha-CRFG	Central Sec. Shaft	Janpath	Operational
CC-01	Pratibha-CRFG	Janpath	Mandi House	Operational
CC-05	L&T – SUCG	Mandi House	ITO	Operational
CC-05	L&T – SUCG	ITO	Delhi Gate	Complete
CC-05	L&T – SUCG	Delhi Gate	Jama Masjid	Complete
CC-07	Era – Metrostroy	Jama Masjid	Lal Qila	Complete
CC-07	Era – Metrostroy	Lal Qila	Kashmere Gate	Complete

Number of Pending TBM Breakthroughs: 0

• The Central Secretariat – Mandi House section opened for commercial operations on June 26, 2014. A further extension northward to the ITO station was opened on June 8, 2015.

• The final TBM breakthrough for this line took place at the Delhi Gate station’s TBM receiving shaft in mid March: TBM Makes Final Breakthrough at Delhi Metro’s Delhi Gate Station

While the DMRC has announced that it would open this line by September 2016, internally it’s aiming to open it by Independence Day (Aug 15) and had chalked out a plan to send their application for the CMRS’ inspection by June 30. Now, as per a recent report, the DMRC is aiming to start trial runs only in July, so it’s highly unlikely they’ll be able to open this section by I-day or anytime in August. Overall, this extension is delayed by more than half a year.

 

Pink Line – Line 7 – Mukundpur – Shiv Vihar

Contract	Contractor	Station/Shaft	Station/Shaft	Status
CC-04	CEC – CICI	Majlis Park Shaft	Azadpur	In Progress
CC-04	CEC – CICI	Azadpur	Shalimar Bagh	Complete
CC-30	HCC	Shalimar Bagh	Netaji Subhash Place	Complete
CC-20	J Kumar – CRTG	Mayapuri Shaft	Naraina Vihar	Complete
CC-20	J Kumar – CRTG	Naraina Vihar	Delhi Cantt Shaft	Complete
CC-18	Pratibha – FEMC	RK Puram Shaft	Bhikaji Cama Place	In Progress
CC-18	Pratibha – FEMC	Bhikaji Cama Place	Sarojini Market	Complete
CC-18	Pratibha – FEMC	Sarojini Market	INA	Complete
CC-18	Pratibha – FEMC	INA	South Extension	Complete
CC-18	Pratibha – FEMC	South Extension	Lajpat Nagar	Complete
CC-24	J Kumar – CRTG	Lajpat Nagar	Vinobhapuri	Complete
CC-24	J Kumar – CRTG	Vinobhapuri	Ashram	In Progress
CC-24	J Kumar – CRTG	Ashram	Hazrat Nizamuddin	Complete

Number of Pending TBM Breakthroughs: 5 (see list)

• Since the May update, zero TBM breakthroughs have taken place.

• In June, I’m expecting 1 breakthrough at Bhikaji Cama Place which’ll complete all tunneling works on CC-18 (RKP Shaft – Lajpat Nagar). See details on that TBM:
2nd TBM Commissioned from Delhi Metro’s RK Puram Shaft

The DMRC cunningly launched “trial runs” from the Mukundpur Depot in an elaborate event held last month, but it was just for show (see details) as the CC-04 tunnels (right outside the depot) are still under construction. As things stand right now, this line’s construction (both underground & elevated) is running more than half a year behind schedule.

 

Magenta Line – Line 8 – Janakpuri W – Botanical Garden

Contract	Contractor	Station/Shaft	Station/Shaft	Status
CC-34	HCC – Samsung	Vikaspuri Shaft	Janakpuri W	Complete
CC-34	HCC – Samsung	Janakpuri W	Dabri Mor	Complete
CC-34	HCC – Samsung	Dabri Mor	Dashratpuri	Complete
CC-34	HCC – Samsung	Dashrat Puri	Palam	Complete
CC-32	ITD – ITD Cem	Palam	Saddar Bazaar W Shaft	Complete
CC-32	ITD – ITD Cem	Saddar Bazaar E Shaft	IGI-Domestic	Complete
CC-32	ITD – ITD Cem	IGI-Domestic	Shankar Vihar	Complete
CC-27	L&T – SUCG	Shankar Vihar	Vasant Vihar	Complete
CC-27	L&T – SUCG	Vasant Vihar	Munirka	In Progress
CC-27	L&T – SUCG	Munirka	RK Puram	Complete
CC-27	L&T – SUCG	RK Puram	IIT	Complete
CC-27	L&T – SUCG	IIT	Hauz Khas	Complete
CC-23	Pratibha – FEMC	Hauz Khas	Panchsheel Park	Complete
CC-23	Pratibha – FEMC	Panchsheel Park	Chirag Delhi	Complete
CC-23	Pratibha – FEMC	Chirag Delhi	Greater Kailash	Complete
CC-23	Pratibha – FEMC	Greater Kailash	Nehru Enclave	Complete
CC-23	Pratibha – FEMC	Nehru Enclave	Kalkaji Mandir	Complete
CC-23	Pratibha – FEMC	Kalkaji Mandir	Lotus Temple Shaft	Complete

Number of Pending TBM Breakthroughs: 2

• Apart from small sections at Saddar Bazaar & Shankar Vihar, the entire line is underground in south-west and south Delhi. The south-eastern section beyond Modi Mills is elevated.

• The Kalkaji Mandir – Lotus (Bahá’í) Temple shaft has been constructed using the New Austrian Tunneling method (NATM). For some cool images of it shot during construction, see: NATM Tunnel at Kalkaji in Delhi Almost Complete

• Since the May update, 3 TBM breakthroughs have taken place on this line with which all CC-23 tunnels (Hauz Khas – Kalkaji Mandir) are now physically ready. See details & images:

• TBM Makes 2nd Breakthrough at Delhi Metro’s Nehru Enclave Station
• TBM Makes 2nd Breakthrough at Delhi Metro’s Greater Kailash Station

The contractor will now remove both TBMs, construct cross-passage tunnels and finish covering up the roof-slab at all stations included within the package.

The 3rd breakthrough of the month took place while I was away, at the Aravali midshaft (close to Vasant Vihar) by a STEC TBM launched from the Shankar Vihar station to construct the down-line tunnel. Details on that will be shared soon. 😀
June 23 Update:
See details here: TBM Makes 2nd Breakthrough at Delhi Metro’s Aravali Mid-Shaft

• In June, I’m expecting 1 breakthrough to take place at the RK Puram mid-shaft from a TBM commissioned from the Vasant Vihar station. Depending on the conditions, this could take place in 1st half of July as well.

With a mid-May 2016 deadline for both contractors of CC-23 and CC-27, construction of the underground component of this line is progressing half a year behind schedule and the underground section (Kalkaji – Janakpuri W) is expected to only start operations in phases from the middle of 2017.

If you have any questions or need specific TBM launch/breakthrough info, then please leave a comment below!

For more updates on Delhi Metro’s Phase III, check out the Delhi section of The Metro Rail Guy!

– TMRG