Surat Metro’s TBM Narmada Records 1st Breakthrough at Labheshwar Chowk

Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) S78 operated by Gulermak – Sam India Builtwell JV on Wednesday recorded its first “hidden” breakthrough at Labheshwar Chowk Station of Surat Metro Phase 1‘s 22.77 km Line-1 (Sarthana – Dream City).

This refurbished Terratec earth pressure balance (EPB) machine, nicknamed Narmada, had started its first assignment in December 2022 to build the down-line tunnel from Kapodra Station’s western shaft.

From there it traveled roughly 1.5 km west in 12 months to arrive at the unique 4-level Labheshwar Chowk Station’s box where excavation will be carried out only after Narmada and its sister machine (S94 nicknamed Tapi) pass through.

Here’s a cool graphic shared by Gulermak – Sam India Builtwell JV’s Project Manager, Deniz Buyukgokmen, showing the station’s construction progress and where S78 is currently positioned within Labheshwar Chowk Station, which will be 30 meters deep consisting of two platform levels and two concourse levels:

TBM S78 had previously seen action in Pune Metro’s Phase 1 project where it was deployed by Gulermak – Tata Projects JV.

Both S78 and S94 in Surat will build a total of 6 tunnels for the 3.46 km Package CS2 / UG1 which was awarded in March 2021 by Gujarat Metro Rail Corporation (GMRC). Gulermak – Sam India JV’s scope also includes the construction of 3 stations at Kapodra, Labheshwar Chowk and Central Warehouse.

TBM S94 is trailing behind S78, and both machines will eventually be retrieved from Surat Railway Station’s eastern shaft. As excavation progresses at Labheshwar Chowk and Central Warehouse stations, workers will unearth and dismantle the tunnel rings built by both machines.

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– TMRG