Mumbai Metro’s TBM Tansa-2 Records Breakthrough at Mahalaxmi
Tunnel Boring Machine 1239 operated by Doğuş-Soma JV on Wednesday afternoon arrived at Mahalaxmi Station on Mumbai Metro’s upcoming 33.5 km Line-3 (Aqua Line).
Nicknamed Tansa 2, this was TBM 1239’s 2nd (and penultimate) breakthrough, and Doğuş-Soma JV’s 3rd of 6 breakthoughs planned for package UGC-03 (Worli – Mumbai Central)’s tunnels. Overall, this was Line-3’s 39th of 42 planned TBM breakthroughs.
This Ø6.65m Robbins slurry machine had previously achieved a breakthrough at Worli Station in March 2020 and was then transported back to Science Museum Station through the city’s streets in September.
For its most recent assignment, it was recommissioned in November 2020 for its second drive to build the 1118m up-line tunnel towards Mahalaxmi Station.
Along the way, it passed by its sister machine 1238 (Tansa 1) which was recommissioned a couple months prior in September. Details are a little sketchy, but I hear it suffered a breakdown with damage to the machine’s hydraulic cylinder seals that left the machine immobile for more than a month in the February-March timeframe.
Line-3 has just 2 TBMs working from an all time high of 17. A total of 39 breakthroughs have been recorded so far with 3 more pending – all on Package UGC-03.
Here’s a table displaying UGC-03’s tunneling plan and status of each tunnel (best viewed on a desktop device). Note that TBM 1238 (Tansa-1) and 1239 (Tansa-2) had switched positions (up-line to down-line and down-line to up-line) for their 2nd assignment.
| TBM | Line | From | To | Distance | Status |
| 1 | Up | Science Museum | Worli | 2072m | Completed Jan 2020 |
| 1 | Down | Science Museum | Mahalaxmi | 1136m | In Progress |
| 1 | Down | Mahalaxmi | Mumbai Central | 830m | Pending Start |
| 2 | Down | Science Museum | Worli | 2057m | Completed March 2020 |
| 2 | Up | Science Museum | Mahalaxmi | 1118m | Completed July 2021 (this post!) |
| 2 | Up | Mahalaxmi | Mumbai Central | 837m | Pending Start |
The line’s depot is still in limbo with no visible movement in the litigation status of the site identified in Kanjurmarg for a mega-depot or in the tendering front relating to lines 3 & 6’s design and integration consultancy works.
From here on, TBM 1239 will now be dragged across Mahalaxmi Station’s platform level and recommissioned towards Mumbai Central for its final 837 meter journey. I’m trying ascertain 1238’s status and will update this section when I hear something.
For more updates, check out the Mumbai Metro section or my Home Page!
– TMRG
TMRG, recently state govt. Ordered MMRCL to find possibilities to shift Depot at Pahadi Goregaon. But since the exact location is not yet reveal, it will create doubt whether its feasible or not. Do u have any idea, where the exact location of Pahadi goregaon will be?
Naah, no idea about which site they’re talking about. Funny thing is that entire area westward to WEH and up to Goregaon is called Aarey. No such thing as Pahadi Goregaon.
I don’t believe anything will ever come out of this exercise.
Congrats MAPLE team
Is this an ex-NFM machine?
Yup – both 1238 and 1239
This post has info / snaps from 1238’s FAT in Singapore in 2017:
https://themetrorailguy.com/2017/09/05/robbins-completes-factory-testing-1st-tbm-for-mumbai-metro/
Mahalaxmi to Mumbai Central. Any idea as to when that will start?
Should start in 3-4 weeks. That’s the typical timeframe to clean up debris, drag across the station and recommission. I’d be disappointed if it doesn’t restart by September.
The TBM which got break through in Mumbai Central will be retrieved and will be sent to casting yard. Already the other TBM Tansa1 is in action and completed 100 rings.