Larsen & Toubro (L&T) marked a significant achievement today with the breakthrough of Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) DZ1123 at Chhatarpur Mandir Station on Delhi Metro’s 23.622 km Golden Line (Line-10). This line will establish a vital connection between Aerocity and Tughlakabad, spanning 15 stations. The breakthrough of DZ1123 represents the machine’s second successful tunneling accomplishment, and overall the fourth breakthrough for Delhi Metro Phase 4’s 6.51 km Package DC-09, which links Kishangarh to Saket G Block.
DZ1123 is a CRCHI Earth Pressure Balance (EPB) TBM, designed for efficient excavation and tunneling. The machine’s first assignment had it boring a 1274-meter tunnel from Chhatarpur Station to Kishangarh Station, which was completed over the course of eight months, wrapping up in December 2023. Following the completion of that task, DZ1123 was repositioned at Chhatarpur Station’s eastern end and recommissioned in February 2024 to begin its new tunneling route toward Chhatarpur Mandir Station.
Over a period of eight months, the TBM covered a total distance of 859 meters, working steadily through the challenges of underground construction. Throughout this operation, DZ1123 constructed 613 tunnel rings, each measuring 1.4 meters in length. The tunneling was completed at an average depth of 15 meters below the surface. A particularly noteworthy aspect of this project was DZ1123’s passage beneath the Yellow Line viaduct, just south of the existing Chhatarpur Station, showcasing the complex engineering involved in navigating metro infrastructure in densely populated urban areas.
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) awarded L&T the Rs. 1,428 crore contract for Package DC-09 in March 2022. The project carries a 42-month completion deadline. This 6.51 km section will consist of twin tunnels forming the middle stretch of the Golden Line, connecting Kishangarh Station (chainage 5356.285) to a cut-and-cover ramp located west of Saket G Block Station (chainage 11867.000). The alignment includes four stations: Chhatarpur (with an interchange to the Yellow Line), Chhatarpur Mandir, IGNOU, and Neb Sarai.
The recent breakthrough at Chhatarpur Mandir marks the fourth out of a planned ten breakthroughs for Package DC-09. L&T has strategically deployed two TBMs for this project, with DZ1123 being one of the key machines involved. The company’s TBM-1 (DZ1122), responsible for the construction of the parallel tunnel, completed its breakthrough in August 2024. Currently, TBM-1 is being reassembled and prepared for relaunch from Neb Sarai Station towards the cut-and-cover ramp west of Saket G Block Station.
Meanwhile, L&T’s other two TBMs, DZ1124 and DZ1125, are actively engaged in tunneling operations between Chhatarpur Mandir Station and IGNOU Station, adding further momentum to the progress of the Golden Line’s development. The use of multiple TBMs in this package has enabled L&T to keep the project on track despite the technical challenges of tunneling in Delhi’s congested underground space.
With each breakthrough, the Golden Line edges closer to completion, promising a vital addition to Delhi’s metro network. The line is expected to play a key role in enhancing urban connectivity, reducing congestion, and providing faster travel options for residents across several key areas of the city. Larsen & Toubro (L&T) marked a significant achievement today with the breakthrough of Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) DZ1123 at Chhatarpur Mandir Station on Delhi Metro’s 23.622 km Golden Line (Line-10).
This line will establish a vital connection between Aerocity and Tughlakabad, spanning 15 stations. The breakthrough of DZ1123 represents the machine’s second successful tunneling accomplishment, and overall the fourth breakthrough for Delhi Metro Phase 4’s 6.51 km Package DC-09, which links Kishangarh to Saket G Block. DZ1123 is a CRCHI Earth Pressure Balance (EPB) TBM, designed for efficient excavation and tunneling. The machine’s first assignment had it boring a 1274-meter tunnel from Chhatarpur Station to Kishangarh Station, which was completed over the course of eight months, wrapping up in December 2023.
Following the completion of that task, DZ1123 was repositioned at Chhatarpur Station’s eastern end and recommissioned in February 2024 to begin its new tunneling route toward Chhatarpur Mandir Station. Over a period of eight months, the TBM covered a total distance of 859 meters, working steadily through the challenges of underground construction. Throughout this operation, DZ1123 constructed 613 tunnel rings, each measuring 1.4 meters in length. The tunneling was completed at an average depth of 15 meters below the surface.
A particularly noteworthy aspect of this project was DZ1123’s passage beneath the Yellow Line viaduct, just south of the existing Chhatarpur Station, showcasing the complex engineering involved in navigating metro infrastructure in densely populated urban areas. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) awarded L&T the Rs. 1,428 crore contract for Package DC-09 in March 2022. The project carries a 42-month completion deadline.
This 6.51 km section will consist of twin tunnels forming the middle stretch of the Golden Line, connecting Kishangarh Station (chainage 5356.285) to a cut-and-cover ramp located west of Saket G Block Station (chainage 11867.000). The alignment includes four stations: Chhatarpur (with an interchange to the Yellow Line), Chhatarpur Mandir, IGNOU, and Neb Sarai.
The recent breakthrough at Chhatarpur Mandir marks the fourth out of a planned ten breakthroughs for Package DC-09. L&T has strategically deployed two TBMs for this project, with DZ1123 being one of the key machines involved. The company’s TBM-1 (DZ1122), responsible for the construction of the parallel tunnel, completed its breakthrough in August 2024. Currently, TBM-1 is being reassembled and prepared for relaunch from Neb Sarai Station towards the cut-and-cover ramp west of Saket G Block Station.
Meanwhile, L&T’s other two TBMs, DZ1124 and DZ1125, are actively engaged in tunneling operations between Chhatarpur Mandir Station and IGNOU Station, adding further momentum to the progress of the Golden Line’s development. The use of multiple TBMs in this package has enabled L&T to keep the project on track despite the technical challenges of tunneling in Delhi’s congested underground space.
