2 STEC TBMs Complete Factory Tests for Mumbai Metro’s Line-3

China-based tunnel boring machine (TBM) manufacturer Shanghai Tunnel Engineering Company (STEC) today completed factory acceptance tests (FAT) for 2 refurbished TBMs at their yard in Singapore which will be used to build a section of Mumbai Metro’s 33.5 km Line-3 tunnels between Cuffe Parade and Aarey Colony.

Named T-206 and D-213, these two Ø6.65m Earth Pressure Balance TBMs are part of a 3 TBM order and will be deployed by Larsen & Toubro and Shanghai Tunnel Engineering Company (L&T – STEC JV) to build twin tunnels on the line’s 4.157 km package UGC-07, between Marol Naka – MIDC – SEEPZ  – Aarey Colony Ramp, which was awarded by the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. in July 2016.

Both TBMs were previously utilized to build tunnels for the Downtown MRT Line on Singapore’s metro system, and were since put through an exhaustive refurbishment plan to make them reusable for Mumbai’s conditions. The L&T-STEC JV is currently building 2 TBM launch shafts at Pali Ground in Marol Naka and at Sariput Nagar in Aarey Colony, and plans to begin tunneling works by the end of this year.

Package UGC-07 between Marol Naka – Aarey Colony Ramp – view Mumbai Metro map and info

Photo Copyright: MMRCL

The cutterhead of the 3rd TBM can be seen lying above.

Photo Copyright: Prabhakar Chellappa

One of the TBM’s back-up systems – Photo Copyright: Prabhakar Chellappa

STEC TBMs’ design specs

Here’s a cool drone view I recently shared on Twitter of L&T-STEC’s Pali Ground Shaft in Marol from where 2 of the 3 TBMs will be commissioned –

Pali Ground Shaft – Photo Copyright: Subhash Chander<

All 5 contractors of the line plan to deploy a total of 17 TBMs to construct it and with this development, 6 TBMs have passed factory acceptance tests –

• Package UGC-02 – 1 Terratec TBM in China (new)
• Package UGC-04 – 1 Herrenknecht TBM in China (new)
• Package UGC-05 – 2 Terratec TBMs in Delhi (refurbished)
• Package UGC-07 – 2 STEC TBMs in Singapore (refurbished)

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

– TMRG

written by

Global traveler who prefers mass rapid transit

6 Responses to "2 STEC TBMs Complete Factory Tests for Mumbai Metro’s Line-3"

  1. Abhishek Kulkarni says:

    Pl notify me

    Reply
  2. Sasikumar A.M says:

    Where is the third TBM is to be used… Whether in the same line 7 or line 1 ???
    Thanks

    Reply
    • TMRG says:

      L&T hasn’t revealed their tunneling plan, but it’ll most likely be used to build the Aarey Ramp – SEEPZ tunnels of UGC-07, a small drive beneath the JVLR.

      UGC-01 will be built using 2 Robbins TBMs.

      Reply
  3. Sasikumar A.M says:

    Hello Admin,

    Do you have any ideas what kind of Tbm models are they??? EPB machines or Slurry machines…

    When are the TBM are expected to reach Mumbai

    Thanks

    Reply
    • TMRG says:

      1) Earth Pressure Balance – I’ve mentioned this at the top
      2) Not entirely sure. Depends on when the Pali Ground shaft is ready, so sometime around October-November I’d say.

      Reply

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