1 week ago
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For the archetypal clip since the task enactment commenced 5 years ago, Chennai Metro Rail plans to procure a fewer much passageway boring machines (TBMs) arsenic delays plague the underground operation enactment of the upcoming signifier II project.
Cancellation of tenders floated for presumption operation successful the archetypal stages of the task and shifting of inferior pipelines are immoderate of the large reasons contributing to this delay.
In the 118.9-km signifier II task which volition service the metropolis commuters done 3 corridors — Madhavaram to SIPCOT (corridor 3), Poonamallee to Light House (corridor 4), and Madhavaram to Sholinganallur (corridor 5), 42.6 km is built arsenic underground network.
Tunnelling for a full magnitude of 69.05 km has to beryllium completed. But arsenic of now, lone 28.11 km of the tunnelling enactment has been done truthful far.
A full of 23 TBMs were purchased successful the archetypal play of the task to transportation retired the tunnelling work, and they were subsequently engaged for work. Usually, erstwhile the TBM completes tunnelling successful a stretch, it volition beryllium dismantled and again relaunched astatine different location.
TBMs stranded
In 2 locations successful the city, the TBMs stay stranded for a agelong play ranging from months to sometimes adjacent much than year, incapable to marque breakthroughs.
In corridor 3, TBMs person been stuck underground successful the pursuing stretches — Madhavaram to Moolakadai (upline and downline), Purasawalkam to Kellys (upline) — to marque a breakthrough arsenic the presumption shaft (from wherever the TBM volition statesman the boring process) is yet to beryllium ready. The idling clip of each of these TBMs runs beyond a twelvemonth but volition yet scope their destination shortly.
In immoderate stretches, the TBMs were stranded for immoderate clip owed to the hold successful constructing the shaft.
In corridor 5 too, betwixt Villivakkam Metro and Villivakkam Bus Terminus, the tunnelling started precocious but determination was a hold since they had to hold for support from the Southern Railway to bore nether the suburban presumption tracks astatine Villivakkam.
As a result, Chennai Metro Rail is yet to statesman the tunnelling successful the stretches including Royapettah to Thousand Lights (upline) Thiruvanmiyur to Indira Nagar (upline) and Perambur to Perambur Market (downline) and determination exists a increasing request for further TBMs to accelerate the enactment and marque up for the delays.
According to officials of Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL), the delays successful the underground operation enactment stemmed from the determination to cancel the tender floated for gathering the underground stations successful corridor 3 and a portion of corridor 5, 5 years ago. “This was inevitable. At that point, the bidders submitted unreasonable and inflated quotes. In the process to cancel, refloat the tender and grant the contracts, we mislaid a small much than a year,” an authoritative said.
Building of presumption shafts were delayed successful corridor 3 and a portion of corridor 5. As a ripple effect, the hold was felt successful the tunnelling too. Besides, the shifting of utilities was highly challenging successful immoderate of the locations.
