Tunnel Boring Machine Avni at M.G. Road station in Bengaluru on Thursday.

The new year has begun on a positive note for Bangalore Metropolitan Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL) with two tunnel boring machines making headway.

On Thursday, TBM Avni, achieved a breakthrough at M.G. Road station after nearly two years. It was launched on September 5, 2020 at Shivajinagar station and completed tunnelling a length of 1,086 metres.

“TBM Avni encountered hard boulders for a length of around 280 metres, wherein tunneling was extremely challenging and required very frequent interventions,” said BMRLC in a press release. The machine will now drive through the station and will tunnel between M.G. Road to Rashtriya Military School Stations.

Earlier this week, TBM Valmika that had been launched on June 29 last year from Dairy Circle covered a distance of 614 metres. It reached Dairy Circle station on January 3.

According to BMRCL, it will now bore a tunnel between Dairy Circle to Lakkasandra stations.

BMRCL had deployed nine TBMs for the underground section of the Pink Line from Kalena Agrahara station on Bannerghatta road in the south with Nagawara station. Urja was the first to achieve a breakthrough last year.

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Printable version | Jun 5, 2022 4:08:58 pm | https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/bangalore/tunnel-boring-machines-make-breakthrough-in-bengaluru/article38161800.ece