ITD completes Factory Acceptance Test of 1st Tunnel Boring Machine for Chennai Metro Line 4

Chennai, India (Metro Rail Today): Chennai Metro Rail's ambitious Phase II for a network of 118.9 km is a gargantuan feat undertaken at one stretch and a first of its kind in India with 128 stations in three corridors namely; Corridor-3 (from Madhavaram to Siruseri - SIPCOT - 45.8 kms), Corridor-4 (from Lighthouse to Poonamaliee Bypass — 26.1 kms) and Corridor-5 (from Madhavaram to Sholinganallur — 47 kms).

Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) has been implementing the construction of Underground Metro Rail Project Corridor 4 from Light House Station at Marina Beach to Kodambakkam Flyover. This corridor's underground portion is split into two packages (UG-01 & UG-02), each of which contains four kilometres of twin tunnels. In order to complete the approximately 16 km of tunnelling, four Tunnel Boring Machines (TBM) have been planned, taking into account both Upline and Downline tunnels.

These Tunnel Boring Machines, manufactured by the reputable German company Herrenknecht, a pioneer in the production of TBM's for various types of tunneling, will be used by CMRL's contractor ITD Cementation India Limited.

At the HK factory in Thiruvallur District, Ponneri Thaluk, Alinjivakkam Village, Chennai, the factory acceptance test of the first tunnel boring machine was successfully completed in the presence of CMRL Director of Projects T. Archunan, Rekha Prakash, CGM (PD), and various officers from General Consultants, AEON Consortium.

The name of this 1st Tunnel Boring Machine is S-1073B which is a 6.670M bore diameter and 110m long Earth Pressure Balance Machine. The total weight of this machine is approximately 700 MT which will now be dismantled in parts, packed and transported to its destination at Light House Station, Marina Beach.

The construction of the TBM launching Shaft is in progress at Light House Station and is expected to be ready to receive the TBM in the month of May 2023.

This TBM will be launched in Downline of this corridor-4 and will mine at a maximum depth of 29 m below ground starting from Light House, Kutchery Road, Thirumaylai, Alwarpet, Bharatidasan and finally scheduled to arrive at Boat Club in May 2025.