L&T’s TBM Shiv Passes Tests for Rishikesh – Karnaprayag Rail Line

Herrenknecht AG in April-end completed factory acceptance tests (FAT) on Larsen & Toubro’s second tunnel boring machine, TBM Shiv (S-1310A), for the 125 km Rishikesh-Karnaprayag railway project’s Package 4.

This new railway line by RVNL will link both towns in Uttarakhand through 12 stations. L&T was awarded a Rs. 3337.60 crore contract for Package 4 in January 2021 to build the section from chainage 47.360 to 63.118.

Package 4 includes 14.577-km up-line and 13.123-km down-line tunnels, out of which 10.490 km and 10.317 km will be constructed using 2 x 9.1m diameter Herrenknecht Hard Rock TBMs. Prior to this, TBM Shakti (S-1309A) had passed FAT in February and was shipped in April.

L&T’s scope also includes a 240m embankment for Devprayag Station, a 300m embankment at Janasu and one minor bridge.

TUMAS India Pvt. Ltd. – Altinok Musavirlik Muhenislik A.S (JV) is Package 4’s detailed design consultant (DDC). A cool video of Shiv’s cutterhead spinning can be viewed here.

L&T is chasing a 60 month completion deadline. Per their old press release, Shiv – Shakti will be the biggest TBMs to be deployed in the Himalayan region, and the TBM bored tunnel length of 20.807 km will be the longest for any project in the Himalayan region.

A full list of contractors for this project can be viewed here.

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– TMRG