First TBM arrives for Swargate-Katraj Metro extension

The remaining two TBMs, which will undertake tunnelling towards Katraj, are expected to arrive in six to eight months

The underground construction of the Pune Metro’s Swargate-Katraj extension is set to gather pace, with the first Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) arriving at the project site and a second expected by the end of November. The remaining two machines are likely to arrive in the next six to eight months, officials said.

The first TBM is being assembled at the Swargate launching shaft, while the second is being dispatched from Chennai, with its components expected to reach Pune by November-end. (HT PHOTO)

The first TBM is being assembled at the Swargate launching shaft, while the second is being dispatched from Chennai, with its components expected to reach Pune by November-end.

Atul Gadgil, director (works), said the first two machines would be deployed from the Swargate launching shaft, with a gap of about a month between their deployment.

“The first TBM is currently being assembled at the Swargate launching shaft. The second machine is expected to arrive by the end of November. There will be a gap of about a month between the deployment of the two machines,” Gadgil said.

The remaining two TBMs, which will undertake tunnelling towards Katraj, are expected to arrive in six to eight months. Gadgil said the phased arrival and deployment were part of the planned construction schedule and did not indicate a delay.

The Swargate-Katraj extension is part of Pune Metro’s expansion plan to improve connectivity in the southern parts of the city. The underground corridor will extend metro services beyond the existing Swargate terminus and improve public transport access for residents of the Katraj belt.