Afcons-SAM India JV records first tunnel breakthrough for Agra Metro Rail Project

Agra, India (Metro Rail Today): The engineers of Afcons Infrastructure – Sam India Builtwell JV marked a significant milestone as their tunnel boring machine (TBM) S115 achieved its first breakthrough at RBS College Station for Corridor 1 of the Agra Metro Phase 1, spanning 14.25 km from Sikandra to Taj East Gate.

This breakthrough marked the commencement of tunneling for the remaining portion of Agra Metro Line-1's underground section, beyond the operational Priority Corridor, connecting RBS Ramp to Mankameshwar Mandir Station. Overall, it marked the 9th breakthrough for Package AGCC-02, covering 7.93 km from RBS Ramp to Taj Mahal Ramp.

TBM S115, a refurbished Terratec Earth Pressure Balance (EPB) machine and Afcons' fourth TBM, began its operation in December 2023 to construct a 2.2 km tunnel for the up-line from RBS College Ramp to Agra College Interchange Station. In its first drive, S115 excavated and constructed approximately 720 meters of tunnel for the up-line from RBS Ramp to RBS College Station.

Uttar Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation (UPMRC) awarded a civil contract to Afcons Infrastructure – Sam India Builtwell JV for underground Package AGCC-02 in March 2022, with a 48-month deadline. This section comprises twin tunnels connecting 7 stations: Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, Jama Masjid, SN Medical College, Agra College, Raja Ki Mandi, and RBS College.

TBM S115 has a noteworthy history, being one of Afcons' three machines (S88, S89, or S90) previously used for constructing 6 tunnels on the Delhi – Meerut RRTS project's Package 8 in Meerut city. Originally equipped with a 7.51m cutterhead diameter, it was reconfigured with a downsized cutterhead to meet Agra Metro's tunneling requirements.

Following this breakthrough, S115 will be moved through RBS College's station box and recommissioned towards Raja Ki Mandi Station, covering a distance of approximately 640 meters. This progress brings Afcons' tunneling team closer to achieving a total of 10 breakthroughs between RBS College Ramp and Mankameshwar Mandir (Jama Masjid).

With 9 more breakthroughs remaining, the next milestone will be achieved by S-718C (TBM Shivaji), commissioned in January, tasked with building the parallel down-line tunnel from RBS Ramp to RBS College Station.