L&T’s Patna Metro TBM Buddha Records 2nd Tunnel Breakthrough
Larsen & Toubro (L&T) on Tuesday celebrated their second 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 Patna Metro’s 14.05 km Line-2 (Patna Junction Railway Station – New ISBT) was recorded by TBM Buddha (DZ1091 known as TBM-2) – a 6.65m diameter EPB machine manufactured by China Railway Construction Heavy Industry Co. Ltd. (CRCHI).
TBM Buddha was assembled and lowered into its launch shaft at Moin-ul-Haq Station in April 2023, and was commissioned in May 2023 for its first tunneling assignment to build a 1494m section of the up-line tunnel towards Patna University where it arrived on Tuesday afternoon.
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.
A cool video by DMRC Patna can be viewed here on X.
This is the second of what I estimate 12 breakthroughs planned in Package PC-03. TBM Mahavir (DZ1090) working on the parallel down-line tunnel had arrived at Patna University Station in March 2024. A part of its back-up gantry can in fact be seen on the bottom-left corner still inside the tunnel.
Both machines will be dragged through Patna University’s station box and recommissioned towards PMCH Station for their second assignment covering a distance of roughly 1.15 km.
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 May 31 with technical bids scheduled to open on June 3.
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– TMRG
Do you know how many tbms will there for this line’s underground section? And when the tbm will launched from Moin Ul Haq to Rajendra Nagar?
Also, I heared form TOI I think that there will be 6 tbms for this line’s underground part and 2-2 tbms for moin ul haq to Gandhi maidan and from Gandhi maidan to patna junction While 2 tbms from Moin Ul haq to Rajendra Nagar. So, please clarify on this.
Total 4 machines. Other 2 are currently on their way from Gandhi Maidan to Patna Junction via Akashvani.
Moin Ul haq to Rajendra Nagar will likely be the last tunnels to get built. Not sure why it’s sequenced this way as connecting to the Priority Corridor should have been a priority (pun def intended)