Afcons-SAM’s Agra Metro TBM Ganga Records Breakthrough at Fort

Afcons Infrastructure – SAM India Consortium late last night celebrated the first tunnel breakthrough by Robbins TBM 324 (Ganga) at Agra Fort Station of the 29.40 km Agra Metro Phase 1 project.

This Ø6.52m diameter and 95m long Earth Pressure Balance (EPB) machine was the project’s 2nd of 4 TBMs to be commissioned in mid-April 2023 for constructing 14.25 km Line-1’s 7.93 km Package AGCC-02 between RBS College Ramp – Taj Mahal Ramp.

The machine built 239 rings (334m) from the crossover at Ramleela Maidan to Agra Fort in 45 days, beating TBM Yamuna which arrived at the same shaft after a 77 day journey in April for building the parallel tunnel.

In Agra TBM Yamuna and TBM Ganga will build roughly 3 kms of tunnels each of the city’s 6 km priority corridor (Jama Masjid – Taj East Gate) with an aim to become operational by August 2024.

Uttar Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation (UPMRC) had awarded Afcons – SAM Consortium with Package AGCC-02’s Rs. 1819.79 crore civil construction contract in March 2022 with a 48 month deadline.

Their section from chainage 3630.000 to 11564.485 consists of twin tunnels connecting 7 stations at Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, Jama Masjid, SN Medical College, Agra College, Raja ki Mandi and RBS College.

TBM Ganga will now be dragged through Agra Fort’s station box and recommissioned for its second drive towards Taj Mahal Station.

With this development, a total of 2 out of 14 tunnel breakthroughs, if my calculations are right, have been recorded between RBS College Ramp – Taj Mahal Ramp.

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– TMRG