Delhi-Meerut RRTS’ TBM S89 Records Breakthrough at Meerut Central

Tunnel boring machine S89 operated by Afcons Infrastructure on Tuesday recorded its first tunnel breakthrough at Meerut Central RRTS Station for the 82.15 km Delhi – Meerut RRTS project.

This 7.51m diameter Terratec Earth Pressure Balance (EPB) machine, nicknamed Sudarshan 8.2, was commissioned from Bhaisali RRTS Station in in April 2022.

From Bhaisali it travelled roughly 1839 meters to build the up-line tunnel, for Package 8’s longest tunneling drive, towards Meerut Central Station. Along the way it made a pit-stop at a mid-shaft located 695.85 meters south of Bhaisali Station.

Afcons was awarded Package 8’s Rs. 1529.10 crore civil construction contract in November 2020 with a 1310 day (3.6 year) deadline.

Their scope includes constructing six twin tunnels from Brahampuri DN Ramp to Begumpul UP Ramp with 3 underground stations at Meerut Central, Bhaisali & Begumpul by cut & cover method.

This was S89’s first breakthrough and Afcons Infrastructure’s 3rd of 6 breakthroughs planned for Package 8. Prior breakthroughs were recorded by TBM S90 at Begumpul Station in October 2022 and by TBM S88 at Meerut Central Station in December 2022 – both for the down-line.

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– TMRG