TBM Vidyarthi achieves Final Breakthrough at Kanpur Central for Kanpur Metro Orange Line

Kanpur, India (Metro Rail Today): The Afcons Infrastructure – Sam India consortium has achieved a major milestone on the Kanpur Metro’s Orange Line, as Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) ‘Vidyarthi’ made its fourth and final breakthrough at Kanpur Central Station, marking the completion of all tunneling works for the city’s Phase 1 underground section.

The 23.78 km-long Kanpur Metro Line-1, connecting IIT Kanpur to Naubasta, has now achieved its 16th overall tunnel breakthrough, a landmark that underscores Uttar Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation’s (UPMRC) strong execution pace and engineering prowess.

TBM Vidyarthi (S-639B), a Herrenknecht Earth Pressure Balance (EPB) machine, completed its latest 944-meter tunneling drive between Jhakarkatti Station and Kanpur Central Station. This marked the 8th and final breakthrough under Package KNPCC-06, which covers the Nayaganj–Transport Nagar Ramp section.

The machine has successfully executed four tunneling drives for the down-line tunnel:

1. Kanpur Central to Nayaganj Station – 1,243m (Dec 2023 – Jun 2024)

2. Swadeshi Cotton Mills Ramp to Transport Nagar Station – 331m (Sept – Nov 2024)

3. Transport Nagar to Jhakarkatti Station – 714m (Jan – Apr 2025)

4. Jhakarkatti to Kanpur Central Station – 944m (Jun – Oct 2025)

The KNPCC-06 package, awarded to Afcons–Sam India JV in March 2022 for ₹1,087.67 crore, spans 4.65 km and includes three underground stations — Kanpur Central, Jhakarkatti, and Transport Nagar.

This breakthrough completes the final tunneling stretch for Line-1’s underground network, bringing Kanpur closer to completing its first full metro corridor from IIT Kanpur to Naubasta. The up-line tunnel, constructed by TBM Azad (S-640B), achieved its fourth breakthrough earlier on September 19, 2025.

The first underground package, KNPCC-05, was executed by the Gulermak – Sam India Builtwell JV and became operational earlier this year. The 3.619 km stretch between MacRobertganj Ramp and Nayaganj Station was inaugurated for public use on May 30, 2025.

UPMRC’s swift implementation and tight execution timelines have made Kanpur Metro one of India’s fastest-progressing urban rail projects. The remaining 4.3 km elevated section (Package KNPCC-12), connecting Kanpur Central to Naubasta, is expected to open for commercial operations by late 2026.

Commenting on the achievement, Mrs. Mamta Shah, Managing Director & CEO of Urban Infra Group, said:

“Kanpur Metro’s tunneling milestones demonstrate how Indian metro projects are embracing world-class technologies with precision and efficiency. The completion of TBM Vidyarthi’s final breakthrough showcases UPMRC’s commitment to quality, safety, and timely execution — setting new benchmarks in urban infrastructure development.”

With the completion of tunneling on Line-1, major underground works in Kanpur now continue only on Line-2 (Agriculture University–Barra-8), where the KPIL–Gulermak JV has deployed three TBMs, recording four breakthroughs so far.