SURAT (Metro Rail News): Gulermak – Sam India Builtwell JV achieved a tunnel breakthrough at the Central Warehouse Station on Line-1 (Sarthana – Dream City) of Surat Metro Phase 1 under Package CS2 / UG1 on Tuesday.

A refurbished Terratec EPB (Earth Pressure Balance) Machine S78, nicknamed Narmada, travelled roughly 600 m toward the central warehouse three months after mining at Labheshwar Chowk metro station box. As per Deniz Buyukgokmen (Project Manager, Gulermak), Narmada has erected 1642 precast rings to build a 2298m long tunnel.

Gujarat Metro Rail Corporation (GMRC) awarded Package CS2 / UG1 in March 2021, which involves building six tunnels spanning 3.46 km from Kapodra to Surat Railway Station. Tunnel boring machines S94 (Tapi) and S78 (Narmada) are on duty. This is Narmada’s second and third tunnel breakthrough for the project.

TBM Narmada completed its first assignment, building a 1.5 km tunnel from Kapdra to Labeshwar Chowk in January 2024. However, the breakthrough was hidden as the soil excavation was still underway. So, this is the first time the face of S78 Narmada is visible after it started its journey in December 2022. 

Contract

• Tender No: GMRC/CONS/UG-1/PKG-CS2/PH-1/2020.
• Issue Date: 10th July 2020.
• Estimated Tender Value: Rs 929.46 crore.
• Security Money Deposit: Rs 9.29 crore.
• Work Completion Period: 40 months.

Scope of the project

The project’s scope involves the design, construction, and completion of underground stations and tunnels, along with finishes, spanning 3.46 km from Kapodra Ramp to Surat Railway Station. Construction of underground tunnels between the Northern Ramp and Surat Railway Metro Station. 

The project also includes constructing three underground stations: Kapodra, Labheshwar Chowk, and Central Warehouse, with entry/exit points and connecting subways.

TBM Narmada’s next and final assignment will be building an extension to Surat Railway Station’s eastern shaft of 388m. 

Surat Metro Phase I

Phase I encompasses the construction of two corridors totalling 41.93 km and featuring 38 stations, 32 elevated and 6 underground. Maintenance facilities, solar energy utilization, and advanced ticketing and train operations technologies are key components of this transformative metro project.

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