Tata’s Chennai Metro TBM S96 Arrives at Madhavaram

Tata Projects Ltd. (TPL)’s first tunnel boring machine, S96, arrived at Chennai’s Madhavaram neighborhood earlier this month to build Package TU01 of the 118.9 km Chennai Metro Phase 2 project.

This Ø6.61m Terratec earth pressure balance (EPB) machine had passed factory acceptance tests earlier this summer in China – see details and pictures.

In the Q4 2022, it will be deployed along with 6 other TBMs to construct approximately 9 km twin tunnels (total 18 km) on the new 45.813 km Line-3’s Venugopal Nagar – Kellys section.

S96’s parts – Photo via follower Surendar Mani

TPL was awarded Phase 2’s Package TU-01 Rs. 1999 crore contract by CMRL in May 2021 with a 42 month deadline.

Scope of TU01: Construction of approximately 9 km twin bored tunnels (total = 18 km) from the TBM Retrieval Shaft near Venugopal Nagar (of Line-5) to Kellys Station, and the construction of diaphragm walls, entry/exit structures of Madhavaram Milk Colony Station, Murari Hospital Station, Ayanavaram Station and Purasaiwakkam High Road Station, including launching and retrieval shafts at the above stations.

Line-3’s underground section: Venugopal Nagar – Kellys – Taramani Road Junction | Map via Chennai Metro Rail Ltd. includes my edits
S96’s parts – Photo via follower Surendar Mani

Tata’s tunneling plan with 7 TBMs still remains unknown to me at this time. If someone reading this is aware, then leave a comment below or shoot me a message via the Contact page.

As shared earlier, the other 3 new machines in Terratec’s pipeline will likely be named S97, S98 and S99. I hear Tata plans to refurbish and deploy Terratec TBM S81 from Pune and another 2 Herrenknecht machines from Singapore.

For more updates, check out the Chennai section or my Home Page! Sign up for free instant email notifications on new posts over here. Like this post? See how you can get early-access to updates and support the site over here.

– TMRG

written by

Global traveler who prefers mass rapid transit

13 Responses to "Tata’s Chennai Metro TBM S96 Arrives at Madhavaram"

  1. Jack says:

    What is your estimated completion time for poonamallee to porur stretch.. since it’s moving at a great pace

    Reply
  2. Shashi says:

    Are there any Indian manufacturers of TBM’s or are they all imported, and from which countries

    Reply
    • Anto Jos Menachery says:

      The German company Herrenknecht has a manufacturing plant in Chennai and 90% of TBM components are able to manufacture here. currently they are more concentrated on refurbhishing old TBMs. The above mentioned TBM for TATA is manufactured in China

      Reply
  3. Deepak says:

    Can someone clarify the red line which touches orange line … Sainagar , elangonagar to alwarthirunagar . How is that possible. Because it is a high density resesential area which are extremely narrow and the distance from elangonagar to alwarthirunagar will be 2kms atleast. How metro will connect this route

    Reply
  4. Anand Asir A says:

    From recent article from TOI, we hear that the Wimco nagar depot will be used for phase 2. In this case will there be any extensions from madhavaram to Wimco nagar depot? Is it a cost cutting measure from CMRL(as an alternative to Siruseri depot?

    Reply
    • Kaushik says:

      I don’t think wimco nagar depot will be used for phase 2. The trains used for this phase is completely different from the existing one. The depots planned for phase 2 are in poonamallee and madhavaram. Wimco nagar has no connection with this.

      Reply
  5. Shilton Simon says:

    Is moolakadai metro a sure thing? They have started work at madhavaram milk colony and Murari hospital but not moolakadai!!

    Reply
    • Samuel says:

      Tenders are not yet awarded for moolakadai stations and many other underground stations of purple line.

      Reply
  6. Karthik Mohan says:

    Anyone know where the SIPCOT-2 Siruseri metro station will be?

    Reply
  7. Shashikanth says:

    Anto & Shravan,
    Thanx for the info on TBM

    Reply

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