Herrenknecht Completes Factory Testing 2nd TBM for Mumbai Metro
German tunnel boring machine (TBM) manufacturer Herrenknecht AG on August 17 completed factory acceptance tests (FAT) for TBM S1074 – the second of three new TBMs at their Guangzhou facility in China which will be used to build a section of Mumbai Metro’s 33.5 km Line-3 tunnels between Cuffe Parade and Aarey Colony.
The CEC-ITD Cem-TPL JV will deploy this earth pressure balance TBM along with two others (S-1073 which passed FAT in June & S-1075 which is currently being manufactured) to construct twin tunnels on the line’s 6.081 km package UGC-04 from the Worli Station’s North Shaft to the Dharavi Station’s West Shaft through TBM launch shafts located at Naya Nagar in Mahim and Siddhivinayak Station. Five months ago they began casting segments at their yard in Wadala which by this year-end will start getting fed & erected by the TBMs to form the tunnels’ rings.
Map of Line-3’s UGC-04 (Worli – Dharavi) package – view Mumbai Metro information & map
TBM S1074 – Photo Copyright: ITD Cem
Photo Copyright: ITD Cem
Note – they’ve colored the cutterhead to match MMRC’s logo.
All 5 contractors of the line plan to deploy a total of 17 TBMs to construct it and with this development, 8 TBMs have passed factory acceptance tests –
• Package UGC-02 – 1 Terratec TBM in China (new)
• Package UGC-04 – 2 Herrenknecht TBMs (1st) in China (new)
• Package UGC-05/06 – 2 Terratec TBMs in Delhi (refurbished) + 1 Terratec TBM in China (new)
• Package UGC-07 – 2 STEC TBMs in Singapore (refurbished)
For more updates, check out the Mumbai section of The Metro Rail Guy!
– TMRG
Firstly, thanks for the updates. You rock.
any idea about the other 2 lines? 2b and line 4? i saw that they reinvited bids. But i dont see any timeline. Is this a 2 month long process? or a year long process?
They’ve re-invited bids for a section of Line-2B from DN Nagar to BKC (see this tender notice). Nothing yet on the rest of the line or on Line-4.
Timeframe for technical bid evaluation this time around is likely to be shorter than the original one, especially if the same bidders bid. Let’s see…
what about the TBMs for the R6 of the bangalore metro? From where will they be sourced?
First step is to assign contractors. For that, the BMRCL is currently conducting an international competitive bidding process. As soon as the lowest bidders are revealed, those firms will begin talks/negotiations with TBM suppliers. So give it another 9-12 months for that sort of info to come out.
Mr TMRG,
Thanks for the update.
It seems the Contract for UG section 3 SomaJ V has not yet completed the FAT for the TBM.
One reads that Soma is going thru CD-R thru RBI intervention,if it is really so ,we can expect delay in project execution.
Similarly J KUMAR Infra is embroiled in the alleged BMC Raod scam and has FIR has been filed/ordered to be filed.
Why MMRC /MMRDA is giving contracts to such Contractors,who in most likely situations will delay their own stretch and therefore delay the entire project.
Same thing happened in case of Chennai Metro when Gammon failed to execute the project because of its financial position.
Any comments ?
Hi, from what I know none of the Robbins TBMs have passed FAT – be it for L&T (UGC-01) or Soma (UGC-03).
I’ve always felt that all operators need to strengthen up their bidding requirements so that contractors who’ve been disqualified (or booked in criminal cases) elsewhere cannot participate in metro projects. There’s often a lot more going on behind the scenes (this industry ain’t pretty) which unfortunately prevents them from making such requirements.
Hi,TMRG,
Your information re FAT of the Robbins TBMs having not passed is useful.
Does this mean we should expect the delay in both UG 1 and UG 3 sections?.
As regards your comments on strengthening the bidding requirements,and lot more going on behind the scenes, I completely agree and believe this is the root cause of delays and then obvious cost escalations of the Metro Projects.