Delhi Metro Phase 4’s 1st TBM S86 Begins Tunneling
HCC – VCCL JV today commissioned tunnel boring machine S86 – the very first machine of Delhi’s new Phase 4 project – for its initial drive at the Vikaspuri Park Shaft to build a 2.03 km underground extension of the Delhi Metro’s 38.235 km Magenta Line (Line-8) to Krishna Park Extension Station.
This 73 meter long 6.52m diameter refurbished Terratec Earth Pressure Balance (EPB) machine – nicknamed TBM Triveni – previously saw action in Lucknow, where it was deployed by Tata Projects Ltd – Gulermak JV to build tunnels for its 3.44 km underground section between Charbagh and Hazratganj ramps.
HCC – VCCL is responsible for building package DC-06 of the 65.10 km Delhi Metro Phase 4 project which was awarded by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) with a contract value of Rs. 489 crore in January 2020 and deadline of 36 months.
Their scope of work involves building this section’s twin tunnels from the Vikaspuri Park Shaft (co-incidentally built by HCC in a JV with Samsung for Phase 3’s Package CC-34 north of Janakpuri West Station) to the Vikaspuri Ramp near Keshopur Station, with one underground station at Krishna Park Extension.
HCC-VCCL’s workers had started casting works for this section’s approximately 2100 tunnel ring segments at their Mundka yard in July 2020, started lowering parts of S86 in October and completed site acceptance tests (SAT) in December.
Within the 2.03 km package DC-06, TBM Triveni will bore approximately 1.4 km x 2 tunnels. Here are two snaps shared by DMRC:
As shared earlier – tender notices are still pending for the Magenta Line’s Package DC-05 and Silver Line’s DC-07, DC-08 & DC-09, so S86 will be Delhi’s lone TBM at work until at least mid-2022.
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– TMRG
Congratulations to DMRC and HCC-VCCL JV !!
All other Metro systems in India are still in phase 2 construction. DMRC has already started tunneling for phase 4.
The total length of Delhi Metro is almost equal to the sum of all other metro systems in India.
Hope the Central Government and Ministry of Urban Housing and Urban Affiars look for a more equitable development of all metro systems in the other cites of India.
Proactive participation of previous State Govt was the key for timely completion of previous three phases in Delhi. But not in the case of other state govt’s, who have been reluctant to actively engage.