Delhi-Meerut RAPIDX TBM Sudarshan 4.2 Records 2nd Breakthrough

Shanghai Tunnel Engineering Co. Ltd. (STEC) earlier this week quietly celebrated tunnel boring machine Sudarshan 4.2’s second tunnel breakthrough at Khichripur Shaft for the 82.15 km Delhi – Meerut RAPIDX (RRTS) project.

This was Sudarshan 4.2’s final breakthrough and STEC’s seventh of eight tunnel breakthroughs planned for this semi high-speed rail project’s 5.6 km underground Package 4 connecting Sahibabad UP Ramp – Ashok Nagar DN Ramp).

This 7.5m diameter Earth Pressure Balance (EPB) machine’s parts had arrived at Anand Vihar RRTS Station from China in February 2022.

It was commissioned in April 2022 to build the 2.82 km up-line tunnel from Anand Vihar’s Southern Launch Shaft (chainage 12125.29) towards Khichripur TBM Retrieval Shaft (chainage 9297.685) located just north of Ashok Nagar DN Ramp. Along the way, it recorded its first breakthrough at a ventilation shaft in December 2022.

STEC was awarded a contentious contract for the project’s 5.6 km Package 4 by National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) in December 2020 to build four tunnels between New Ashok Nagar DN Ramp – Anand Vihar – Sahibabad UP Ramp.

With this development, tunneling work within Delhi’s city limits is now over! Also – Sudarshan 4.2’s job is done. It’s become the 4th of 7 machines, after STEC’s Sudarshan 4.1 & 4.3 and Afcons’ TBM S90 on Package 8 in Meerut, to complete all of its tunneling assignments.

Sudarshan 4.4 is now the only TBM working in Package 4, on the 2.093 km up-line tunnel between Anand Vihar – Sahibabad UP-Ramp. Per NCRTC’s press release, it has completed building “75%” of the tunnel.

Last week, STEC recorded the 1st cross-passage breakthrough for Package 4’s tunnels to provide passengers with an emergency escape route  – see details & images.

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– TMRG