Kanpur Metro’s TBM Nana Records Breakthrough at Bada Chauraha

Gulermak – Sam India Builtwell JV on Sunday celebrated tunnel boring machine (TBM) S93’s breakthrough at Bada Chauraha Station of the 32.4 km Kanpur Metro Phase 1 project.

This was TBM S93’s third tunnel breakthrough and the 5th of 8 breakthroughs planned in the project’s 3.619 km Package KNPCC-05 connecting Permat Ramp – Nayaganj Station.

This 6.52m diameter and 120m long Terratec TBM, nicknamed Nana after Nana Saheb Peshwa, has been deployed to build a portion of the up-line tunnel of Kanpur’s 23.785 km Line-1 (IIT Kanpur – Naubasta). Its third drive was completed in just 57 days.

Here’s a list of all drives completed by TBM Nana so far:

• Bada Chauraha to Nayaganj (1025m) – December 2022
• Chunniganj to Naveen Market (748m) – June 2023
• Naveen Market to Bada Chauraha (516m) – September 2023 (this post!)

Uttar Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation (UPMRC) had awarded Gulermak – Sam India with Package KNPCC-05’s construction contract in March 2021 with a 36 month deadline.

Besides constructing twin tunnels, they’ll be building 4 stations at Chunniganj, Naveen Market, Bada Chauraha and Nayaganj, each 215m long.

With this development, Line-1’s upline tunnel has been built all the way from Chunniganj to Nayaganj – a distance of roughly 3.18 km including 3 cut & cover station boxes.

TBM Nana will now either be taken to Permat Ramp or Chunniganj Station (most likely, in my opinion) and re-deployed for its 4th and final assignment to build a roughly 414m tunnel between both those spots.

Gulermak-Sam’s 2nd TBM (S92 nicknamed Tatya) working on the down-line tunnel was re-commissioned from Naveen Market a few weeks after TBM Nana. It has so far excavated approximately 300 meters (214 rings) and I expect it to arrive at Bada Chauraha in October.

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– TMRG