Underground tunnel work for Pune metro to start in November

The Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation Limited (Maha-Metro), will begin digging tunnels, for the Range Hill to Swargate metro corridor which has a 5km underground

The Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation Limited (Maha-Metro), will begin digging tunnels, for the Range Hill to Swargate metro corridor which has a 5km underground stretch, in November.

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According to Maha-Metro officials, a successful trial of the tunnel-boring machines has already been conducted and the final work of digging the tunnel will begin in November.

Brijesh Dixit, managing director of Maha-Metro, said, “Maha-Metro is committed to undertake the underground work as per schedule and inspection and passing of the tunnel-boring machine is a milestone in our preparedness and execution of underground tunnelling work.”

The Maha-Metro has employed a tunnel-boring machine to dig the twin tunnel in the underground stretch. The tunnel-boring machine is a computer controlled machine that bores the tunnel and also places the precast concrete ring segments to clad the tunnel from the inside. These machines dig the tunnels which are then used for laying tracks and installing signal systems and electrical overhead conductors. A total of 6,054 rings are required for the 5-km stretch, according to officials.

Currently, 200 rings are made in the Maha-Metro Deccan college casting yard. The diameter of each ring is 6.4 metre. The tunnel-boring machines will be dispatched by September-end and will reach Pune via Mumbai Port by the end of October, said Maha-Metro officials.