The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has achieved another milestone in its Phase-IV expansion, completing an underground tunnel between Kishangarh and Vasant Kunj stations on the upcoming Golden Line’s Aerocity-Tughlakabad corridor.
Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs and Power, Manohar Lal, along with Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs, Tokhan Sahu, were present at the tunnel breakthrough event at Vasant Kunj station.
A tunnel boring machine (TBM) successfully completed a 1,550-meter-long tunnel on Thursday morning. The massive 91-meter-long TBM was used to construct two parallel circular tunnels for up and down train movement on this stretch. The breakthrough for the second parallel tunnel is scheduled for June, a DMRC official confirmed.
The tunnel has been constructed at an average depth of 23 meters, with a minimum depth of 15.7 meters and a maximum of 30.2 meters. A total of 1,107 tunnel rings with an inner diameter of 5.8 meters have been installed.
Using Earth Pressure Balancing Method (EPBM) technology, the tunnel features a concrete lining made of precast tunnel rings, which were cast at a mechanized facility in Mundka. The concrete segments underwent steam curing to ensure early strength and durability.
The Aerocity-Tughlakabad corridor is a critical addition to Delhi Metro’s Phase-IV expansion, improving connectivity between key transit hubs and decongesting the city's road network.