Larsen & Toubro records second tunnel breakthrough for Delhi Metro Silver Line

This breakthrough marks the second success for TBM DZ1123 and the fourth overall breakthrough for the Delhi Metro Phase 4 project’s 6.51 km Package DC-09, which connects Kishangarh and Saket G Block. The CRCHI Earth Pressure Balance (EPB) machine previously completed a 1,274-meter tunnel from Chattarpur Station to Kishangarh Station in just eight months, concluding its first assignment in December 2023.

After its initial project, the TBM was repositioned at the eastern end of Chattarpur Station and re-commissioned in February 2024 to tunnel towards Chhatarpur Mandir Station, successfully covering an additional distance of 859 meters over the past eight months. During this phase, DZ1123 constructed 613 rings—each measuring 1.4 meters in height—at an average depth of 15 meters. Notably, the machine navigated beneath the Yellow Line’s viaduct just south of the existing Chattarpur Station.

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) awarded L&T the contract for Package DC-09 in March 2022, valued at ₹1,428 crore, with a completion deadline of 42 months. This section, characterized by twin tunnels, will connect Kishangarh Station (chainage 5356.285) to a cut-and-cover ramp (chainage 11867.000) west of Saket G Block Station. The package includes four stations: Chhattarpur (which will serve as an interchange with the Yellow Line), Chhatarpur Mandir, IGNOU, and Neb Sarai.

DZ1123 is one of four TBMs deployed by L&T for Package DC-09, which plays a vital role in the overall expansion of the Delhi Metro network. This latest achievement is part of a broader plan that includes ten planned breakthroughs in Package DC-09. Notably, L&T’s TBM-1 (DZ1122) completed the parallel tunnel in August and is currently being prepared for its next phase from Neb Sarai Station to the ramp area. Meanwhile, the other two TBMs (DZ1124 and DZ1125) are actively tunneling from Chhatarpur Mandir Station to IGNOU Station.

As the Delhi Metro project continues to progress, these developments promise to significantly enhance urban transit options, benefiting commuters and supporting the region's growing transportation infrastructure.