Pune Metro achieves first underground tunnel breakthrough

Pune, India (Urban Transport News): While the unveiling of Pune Metro coaches occurred on the elevated tracks in the last week, the Pune Metro underground section team achieved the first breakthrough of 200m tunnel within 25 days of work by TBM Mutha at Agriculture College Ground for Underground route Shivajinagar-Swargate. The tunnel boring machine (TBM) S78 “Mutha” which is being operated by the Gülermak – Tata Projects Limited JV arrived on 13th November 2019 at Pune Metro’s Agriculture College Shaft on the 16.589 km Line-1 to record the first-ever breakthrough on the 5.09 km underground section between Range Hills and Swargate.

Breaking News: @metrorailpune achieved the first breakthrough of 200m tunnel within 25 days of work by TBM Mutha at Agriculture College Ground for Underground route Shivajinagar-Swargate. Watch: https://t.co/oWDW8nJbet

Video Credit: @suneetMT — Urban Transport News ? (@urbantransnews) January 1, 2020

Tata Projects commenced tunneling work from the Range Hills Ramp on December 7, 2019, by installing the Ø6.52m 100m long Terratec EPB TBM and completed building the short 180m stretch of the up-line tunnel to the shaft in 25 days. The excavation on the next section will be carried out by J Kumar Infraprojects as the Maha-Metro has awarded a separate contract to drag across the 25m x 25m wide & 18m deep shaft towards Shivaji Nagar Station. The tunneling work yet to launch by the J Kumar Infraprojects.

Pune Metro updates: After the successful launch of the first TBM MUTHA that has completed its 100th ring built today. The second TBM MULA is ready to dig the underground section Pune Metro Rail corridor.@metrorailpune pic.twitter.com/Q9vV497Ffy

— Urban Transport News ? (@urbantransnews) December 28, 2019

Another Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) S79 "Mula" is installed on December 28, 2019, to drag the tunnel from Range Hills Rampl to TBM S78 "Mutha". On the same day, TBM "Mutha" had completed its 100th ring built. The Gülermak – Tata Projects JV awarded both underground packages of the Pune Metro underground line by Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation (Maha-Metro). According to terms of the contract, the Gülermak – Tata Projects JV  will have to deploy 4 TBMs (2 per package), but the contractor suggesting only 3 TBMs to complete the excavation.

Apart from TBM S78 and TBM S79, the contractor will deploy TBM S81 to drag the tunnel from the Swargate Shaft. The two packages which were awarded to Gülermak – Tata Projects JV in early 2019 are:- • Package UGC-01: Range Hills Ramp to Budhwar Peth with 2 stations at Shivaji Nagar & Civil Court (Rs. 864.71 crores). • Package UGC-02: Budhwar Peth to Swargate Shaft with 3 stations at Budhwar Peth, Mandai and Swargate (Rs. 826.24 crores). Watch the video recorded by the Pune Metro Rail project on the first tunnel breakthrough. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TH61bXvvNsc]