Indore Metro Starts Underground Tunnelling With 1000-Tonne TBM

Indore Metro is set to begin its biggest construction phase with the deployment of a giant Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) that will excavate nearly 20 metres below the ground. The TBM, weighing around 1,000 tonnes, is currently being assembled in the city and is expected to start tunnelling within the next month.

The machine, imported from Thailand, is designed to operate round the clock and can excavate nearly 20 metres of tunnel every day. It will also install reinforced concrete tunnel lining simultaneously, accelerating construction while ensuring structural strength and safety.

The first underground section will run from Airport to Kalani Nagar, after which work on subsequent stretches will begin. In all, around 12 km of the Indore Metro network will run underground, with officials estimating that the entire underground section will take four to five years to complete.

The TBM functions like a mobile underground factory, with its 6.5-metre-diameter rotating cutter head fitted with heavy-duty steel cutters that continuously bore through soil and rock as the machine advances. The excavated material is carried out through an internal conveyor system, preventing debris from accumulating inside the tunnel.

One of the TBM's key features is its ability to construct the tunnel lining even as it excavates. Hydraulic systems inside the machine install pre-cast concrete segments to form reinforced circular rings, creating the permanent tunnel wall. Two parallel tunnels will be built—one for trains heading towards the city and the other for the return journey.

The Airport area has been chosen as the starting point because its relatively low population density is expected to make construction easier. An underground Metro station is also coming up there. With the city's 17.5-km elevated Metro corridor nearing completion, the focus is now shifting underground.

Most components of the TBM have already arrived in Indore in 11 trailers, paving the way for the next major milestone in the Metro project. The Indore Metro network is expected to revolutionize the city's transportation system, providing a fast and efficient way to travel.

The construction of the underground Metro corridor is a significant milestone in the project, and the use of the TBM is expected to accelerate the construction process. The Indore Metro project is a major infrastructure development project in the city, and its completion is expected to have a significant impact on the city's economy and quality of life.

The project is being closely monitored by the authorities, and the deployment of the TBM is a major step forward in the construction process. The Indore Metro project is expected to be completed in the next few years, and it is expected to provide a major boost to the city's transportation system.

In terms of significance, the Indore Metro project is a major infrastructure development project that is expected to have a significant impact on the city's economy and quality of life. The project is expected to provide a fast and efficient way to travel, reducing traffic congestion and pollution in the city. The completion of the project is expected to be a major milestone in the city's development, and it is expected to have a significant impact on the city's growth and development.