Afcons’ Kanpur Metro TBM S639B Passes Factory Tests

Afcons Infrastructure with assistance from Herrenknecht on Friday completed factory acceptance tests (FAT) on tunnel boring machine S-639B for Kanpur Metro Phase 1’s second underground section (KNPCC-06) connecting Nayaganj Station – Transport Nagar Ramp.

Back in 2016-2018, this Earth Pressure Balance (EPB) machine, then branded as S-639 and nicknamed Rachna, was deployed by Afcons to build the up-line tunnel of Kolkata Metro’s 16.34 km Line-2 between Howrah Maidan – Esplanade. Along the way, it passed under the Hooghly River in May 2017.

Following its final breakthrough at Esplanade Station in March 2018, the machine was dismantled and taken to Afcons’ yard in Butibori on the outskirts of Nagpur for storage and refurbishment.

Now rebranded as S-639B, the machine will be deployed by Afcons Infrastructure – SAM India consortium on 23.785 km Line-1 (IIT – Naubasta)’s 4.65 km Package KNPCC-06.

Uttar Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation (UPMRC) had awarded Afcons – SAM JV with KNPCC-06’s contract in March 2022 with a 36 month deadline and value of Rs. 1087.67 crore (INR 1062,02,00,000 + EURO 29,00,000).

This section connects Nayaganj Station and Transport Nagar Ramp via 3 underground stations at Kanpur Central, Jhakarkatti and Transport Nagar.

With this development, FAT for both TBMs for this package is now complete! Back in May, Afcons completed FAT for TBM S640B.

Overall, these will be Kanpur’s 3rd and 4th machines to start tunneling, which I expect will happen in Q4 2023. Gulermak – Sam India JV currently has two TBMs (S92 Tatya & S93 Nana) tunneling for Package KNPCC-05 (Permat Ramp – Nayaganj).

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– TMRG