Kanpur (Metro Rail News): Kanpur Metro progressed with the second tunnel breakthrough of Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) Azad at Transport Nagar Station under package KNPCC-06, which connects Nayaganj Station with the Transport Nagar Ramp. Afcons – Sam India Consortium celebrated the achievement.
TBM Azad (S-640 B)
TBM Azad (S-640B) is a Herrenknecht Earth Pressure Balance machine, commissioned in October 2023 as the third tunnel boring machine (TBM) in the Kanpur Metro Phase 1 project. It will construct twin tunnels on package KNPCC-06, which connects Nayaganj Station with the Transport Nagar Ramp on 23.78 km of Line-1 between IIT Kanpur and Naubasta.
This is TBM Azad’s second assignment on package KNPCC-06, which will connect Nayaganj to the Transport Nagar Ramp via 3 underground stations –
- Kanpur Central
- Jhakarkatti
- Transport Nagar
The machine took about 92 days to complete its journey after it was put into service in the middle of July.
| Assignments | Scope | Location (Line 1) |
| First Assignment | A 1250m long underground tunnel. | From Kanpur Central Station towards Nayaganj Station. |
| Second Assignment | TBM Azad built a 330m tunnel. | From the ramp area at Swadesh Cotton Mills to Transport Nagar Station. |
In March 2022, the Uttar Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation (UPMRC) awarded a contract worth Rs. 1087.67 crore to Afcons – SAM JV for a 4.65 km stretch of KNPCC-06. The contract had a 36-month deadline.
Additionally, TBM Vidyarthi (S-639B), was re-commissioned in August on a parallel down-line, from the ramp to Transport Nagar. To construct the final set of twin tunnels leading to Kanpur Central Station, both machines (TBM Azad S-640 B and TBM Vidyarthi S-639B), will be hauled via the station box of Transport Nagar, and build tunnels to Jhakarkatti Staton.
With this change, Afcons-Sam India has now achieved 3 out of 8 breakthroughs. The first two took place in March and June of 2024 at Nayaganj Station.
