DMRC Achieves Another Milestone With Tunnel Breakthrough At Tughlakabad Railway Colony Station On Phase IV’s Golden Line

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has achieved another breakthrough in its Phase IV expansion with the successful completion of a new underground tunnel on the Aerocity–Tughlakabad corridor.

A Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) achieved its breakthrough on Tuesday (29 July) morning at the Tughlakabad Railway Colony station, marking a crucial step forward on the Golden Line.

The TBM, stretching 91 metres in length, completed a 0.792 km long tunnel, one of two parallel passageways being developed to facilitate up and down train movement on this corridor. The civil works are being carried out by M/s Afcons Infrastructure Ltd.

Constructed at an average depth of 18 metres, the new tunnel comprises around 559 concrete rings, each forming part of a circular lining with an internal diameter of 5.8 metres.

The rings were precast at a modern casting facility in Mundka, where steam curing techniques were used to ensure rapid strength development.

The tunnel has been excavated using the Earth Pressure Balancing Method (EPBM), a globally trusted technology designed to maintain stability while working under densely built environments.

To safeguard existing structures, ground movement was continuously tracked with sensitive instruments, ensuring there was no settlement anywhere.

Phase IV of the Delhi Metro includes over 40 km of underground track, of which nearly half—19.343 km lies on the Aerocity–Tughlakabad corridor.

Since its inception, DMRC has relied heavily on TBMs, which, as officials highlight, have revolutionised tunnelling work worldwide by enabling deep excavation in congested urban areas without surface disruption.

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