Tata’s Chennai Metro TBM S96 Lowered at Madhavaram Shaft

Tata Projects Ltd. (TPL) this week lowered parts of S-96 – their first tunnel boring machine into a shaft in Chennai’s Madhavaram neighborhood to construct Package TU01 of the 118.9 km Chennai Metro Phase 2 project.

This Ø6.61m Terratec earth pressure balance (EPB) machine had passed factory acceptance tests (FAT) in China this summer and arrived on-site in July. The machines’ shields have been lowered for the initial drive, and the back-up gantry will be lowered and attached later for the main drive.

In the Q4 2022, S96 will become the first to be deployed along with 6 other TBMs to construct approximately 9 km twin tunnels (total 18 km) on the new 45.813 km Line-3’s Venugopal Nagar – Kellys section.

TPL was awarded Phase 2’s Package TU-01 Rs. 1999 crore contract by CMRL in May 2021 with a 42 month deadline.

Scope of TU01: Construction of approximately 9 km twin bored tunnels (total = 18 km) from the TBM Retrieval Shaft near Venugopal Nagar (of Line-5) to Kellys Station, and the construction of diaphragm walls, entry/exit structures of Madhavaram Milk Colony Station, Murari Hospital Station, Ayanavaram Station and Purasaiwakkam High Road Station, including launching and retrieval shafts at the above stations.

Images via Tata Projects (view more)

Earlier this month, S96’s sister machines S97 and S98 arrived at Chennai Port. As shared earlier, I hear Tata plans to refurbish and deploy Terratec TBM S81 from Pune and another 2 Herrenknecht machines from Singapore.

Tata’s tunneling plan (drive lengths, timeframe) with 7 TBMs still remains unknown to me at this time. If someone reading this is aware, then leave a comment below or shoot me a message via the Contact page.

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– TMRG