L&T’s Patna Metro TBM-1 Records Breakthrough at PMCH Station

Larsen & Toubro (L&T) two weeks ago celebrated their fifth tunnel breakthrough at PMCH 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 Patna Metro’s 14.05 km Line-2 (Patna Junction Railway Station – New ISBT) was recorded by TBM-1 (DZ1090) – a 6.65m diameter EPB machine manufactured by China Railway Construction Heavy Industry Co. Ltd. (CRCHI).

This was TBM DZ1090’s second assignment and involved building a 1068m tunnel for the down-line from Patna University to PMCH, which took 12 months to complete since its relaunch in June 2024. This tunnel was the site of a fatal locomotive incident in October 2024.

Prior to this DZ1090 had built a 1494m tunnel, also for the down-line, from Moin-ul-Haq Station to Patna University Station in 11 months.

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.

I hear L&T’s TBM-2 (DZ1091) working on the parallel up-line tunnel is expected to arrive at PMCH Station around mid-July.

With this development, 5 / 10 tunnel breakthroughs for Package PC-03 have been recorded. TBM-1 (DZ1090) and TBM-2 (DZ1091) had completed building the 1494m Moin Ul Haq – University twin tunnels in mid-2024, while TBM-3 (likely DZ1169) and TBM-4 (likely DZ1170) completed building 1.7 km twin tunnels from Gandhi Maidan – Patna Junction in March this year.

TBM-3 has already started its initial drive from Moin Ul Haq to Rajendra Nagar, while TBM-4 is being readied for commissioning – both for their final assignments.

In case you missed it, Hindustan Construction Co. Ltd. (HCC) earlier this month was declared as the lowest bidder for 16.86 km Line-1‘s 8 km underground section (packages PC-05 & PC-06) connecting Rukanpura Ramp and Mithapur Ramp – see details here. I don’t believe HCC has received LOAs yet.

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– TMRG