Surat Metro’s TBM Tapi Records Breakthrough at Central Warehouse Station

Gulermak – Sam India Builtwell JV on Monday celebrated tunnel boring machine (TBM) S94’s breakthrough at Central Warehouse Station of Surat Metro Phase 1 project’s 22.77 km Line-1 (Sarthana – Dream City).

This was S94 (Tapi)’s second tunnel breakthrough and overall the fourth breakthrough for 3.46 km Package CS2 / UG1 connecting Kapodra – Surat Railway Station.

S78 is a Terratec earth pressure balance (EPB) machine and had completed its first assignment in January 2024 to build a 1.5 km tunnel for the up-line from Kapodra to Labheshwar Chowk. That breakthrough was “hidden” as soil excavation was still underway, so this is the first time we’re seeing S94’s face after it started its journey in January 2023.

For its second assignment which ended on Monday, TBM Tapi mined through Labheshwar Chowk Station’s box and then traveled roughly 600m to Central Warehouse’s eastern shaft in 5.5 months.

Gujarat Metro Rail Corporation (GMRC) had awarded 3.46 km Package CS2 / UG1’s Rs. 1073.31 crore contract to Gulermak – Sam India JV in March 2021 with a 40 month deadline.

Besides boring three twin tunnels (total 6), Gulermak – Sam JV is also constructing 3 underground stations at Kapodra, Labheshwar Chowk and Central Warehouse.

TBM Narmada (S78) working on the down-line had arrived at Central Warehouse Station in March 2024 and had taken just 3 months, roughly half of Tapi’s time, to complete the Labheshwar Chowk – Central Warehouse section.

With this development, Gulermak – Sam JV has completed approximately 4.6 km of tunneling (2 x 2.3 km) for both up and down lines. Just 2 more drives remain.

TBM Tapi like Narmada will now be dragged through Central Warehouse Station and be redeployed for its third and final assignment to build a roughly 388m to Surat Railway Station’s eastern shaft.

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– TMRG