As part of Delhi Metro’s Phase-IV project, the second tunnel boring machine (TBM) on the under-construction Silver Line began work today at Airforce Station, Tughlakabad .
The TBM ‘Amrit’ will bore a 2.67 km long tunnel from Airforce Station, Tughlakabad to Maa Anandmayee Marg station. This will be the longest tunneling drive in Phase 4.
The first TBM on the Silver line started its drive on 3 March to bore a 1.27 KM long tunnel between Chhatarpur and Kishangarh stations.
Under Phase- IV expansion work, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) is constructing 65.20 km of new lines across three different corridors in the national capital, with 45 metro stations.
These include the Magenta Line extension from Janakpuri West to RK Ashram Marg (28.92 km), Pink Line extension from Majlis Park to Maujpur (12.55 km), and the upcoming Silver Line from Tughalakabad to Aerocity (23.62 km). The Silver Line will connect the operational Violet and Airport Lines from their respective ends.
The Aerocity-Tughlakabad corridor will have 15 stations – four elevated and 11 underground. The corridor will also have four interchange stations at Aerocity, Chattarpur, Saket and Tughlakabad – making it one of the most vital corridors of the DMRC network.
The upcoming Silver line, will help commuters to board the train from several areas including south Delhi, Vasant Kunj, IGNOU, Mahipalpur, Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport’s terminal 3 among others.
All the corridors under this phase of metro expansion will be completed by September, 2025.
Long Association with TBMs
A TBM is a machine used to excavate tunnels, with a circular cross-section, through a variety of soil and rock strata. They can be designed to bore through anything from hard rock to sand.
TBMs have revolutionized the way tunneling work is done worldwide, as tunnels can now be bored without disturbing the buildings and other structures on the surface. TBMs are especially useful for underground tunneling work in congested urban areas.
DMRC has been using TBMs for its tunneling work since Phase-1. In Phase-3, when about 50 km of underground sections were built, about 30 TBMs were pressed into service in the national capital.
The Delhi Metro Rail had earlier awarded the signalling contract for the Silver Line to Alstom Transport India at a value of Rs 219.59 crore.