Factory Tests Completed on ITD’s Bangalore Metro TBMs

Tunnel boring machine (TBM) manufacturer Herrenknecht India on Friday wrapped up factory acceptance tests (FAT) on two refurbished TBMs which will be deployed to build a section of Bangalore Metro’s 21.386 km Pink Line (Reach 6).

The 3 day tests took place at Herrenknecht’s yard in Alinjiwakkam, just north of Chennai, and was attended by officials and engineers from ITD Cementation India Ltd. and Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (BMRCL).

TBMs S-839B (nicknamed Tunga) and S-840B (presumably nicknamed Bhadra) are planned to be commissioned in Q3 2021 to build four tunnels each for the Phase 2 project’s 4.591 km underground package RT-04 (Tannery Road – North Ramp) in north Bengaluru.

ITD’s scope of work involves building a combined total of 6.34 km twin tunnels, roughly 360 meter ramp at Nagawara, and four stations at Tannery Road, Venkateshpura, Kadugundanahalli (formerly Arabic College) and Nagawara.

The first look of these mixed shield earth pressure balance (EPB) machines was revealed earlier this month. Both are slated to arrive in the city by April when Venkateshpura Station’s TBM launch shaft gets ready.

Per the tunneling plan, both will first travel 822.99m south from Venkateshpura to Tannery Road, pass through the station box and tunnel 209.585m towards the retrieval shaft. After that, they will be brought back to Venkateshpura for tunneling 1172.16m towards Kadugundanahalli and a further 916.709m to Nagawara Station’s TBM retrieval shaft.

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– TMRG