L&T’s TBM Mahavir Records Patna Metro’s 1st Tunnel Breakthrough

Larsen & Toubro (L&T) on Wednesday celebrated their first tunnel breakthrough at Patna University Station for 30.91 km Patna Metro Phase 1 project’s 8 km underground Package PC-03 connecting Rajendra Nagar – Patna Junction Railway Station.

This major milestone on 14.05 km Patna Metro Line-2 (Patna Junction Railway Station – New ISBT) was recorded by TBM Mahavir (DZ1090) a 6.65m diameter EPB machine manufactured by China Railway Construction Heavy Industry Co. Ltd. (CRCHI).

TBM Mahavir was assembled and lowered into its launch shaft at Moin-ul-Haq Station in March 2023, and was then commissioned in April for its first tunneling assignment to build a 1494m section of the down-line tunnel towards Patna University.

Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) had awarded L&T with Patna Metro Phase 1 Package PC-03’s Rs. 1989 crore contract in December 2021 with a 42 month deadline.

PC-03 will connect a ramp near Rajendra Nagar with Patna Junction Railway Station through TBM bored twin tunnels and 6 underground stations at Akashvani (formerly Dak Bungalow), Gandhi Maidan, PMCH, Patna University, Moin Ul Haq Stadium and Rajendra Nagar.

This is the first of what I estimate 12 breakthroughs planned in Package PC-03.

L&T’s second machine, TBM Buddha (DZ1091), working on the parallel up-line tunnel was commissioned a month after TBM Mahavir. I haven’t heard of any major issues being encountered, so we should expect it to show its face in the next month or so.

Bidding has been underway since December 2023 for 16.86 km Line-1‘s 8 km underground section which will be built via packages PC-05 & PC-06. From the original submission deadline of February 13, the submission deadline has been pushed out to April 2 with technical bids scheduled to open on the next day.

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– TMRG