MahaMetro launches tunnel boring work in Pune

Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation (MahaMetro) has initiated work on the second Metro tunnel after inspecting the progress of the first one. The second tunnel boring machine (TBM) has arrived at the Metro site at Agriculture College and the assembling is under way. The TBMs will start digging work from the Agriculture College-end towards the Civil Court. MahaMetro stated that the progress of the tunnel boring has been satisfactory and no technical challenges were faced in the initial run. According to the plan, there will be separate tunnels for Up and Down lines and will run parallel on the entire stretch from the Agriculture College to Swargate where the alignment of tunnels and underground Metro stations has been finalized. As many as four TBMs would be involved in the tunneling work and a similar shaft is coming up at the Swargate-end to insert two more TBMs. The shaft work has already been expedited at Swargate and will be handed over for further stages soon. The manufacturing of casting rings to be inserted in the tunnel has been expedited and over a thousand rings are ready at the casting plant. The MahaMetro has also started work on the underground stations at Shivajinagar and Civil Court.