New Delhi: The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has reached a significant construction milestone with a successful tunneling breakthrough at the Tughlakabad Railway Colony station, part of the upcoming Golden Line in Phase IV of the metro expansion.
According to a DMRC statement, the newly completed tunnel connects Maa Anandmayee Marg to Tughlakabad Railway Colony along the Tughlakabad–Aerocity corridor.
The breakthrough was accomplished by a Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM), which completed a 792-meter stretch in the presence of Delhi’s Health and Transport Minister, Pankaj Kumar Singh, DMRC Managing Director, Dr. Vikas Kumar, and other senior officials.
The DMRC highlighted that TBMs are engineered to bore through various soil and rock layers while minimizing surface disruption. Their effectiveness in urban environments has made them a staple in previous phases of metro construction.
Breakthrough of TBM at Tughlakabad Railway colony station site took place in presence of Dr. Pankaj Kumar Singh, Hon’ble Minister for Health & Family Welfare, Transport, Information Technology, Govt. of NCT of Delhi, Dr. Vikas Kumar, Managing Director/DMRC & senior officials
— Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (@OfficialDMRC) June 7, 2025
The tunnel, situated at an average depth of 18 meters, is one of two parallel tunnels being constructed to facilitate bidirectional movement along the corridor. The breakthrough for the second tunnel is anticipated by July 2025.
A total of 566 tunnel rings, each with an inner diameter of 5.8 meters, were installed using the Earth Pressure Balancing Method (EPBM). The precast concrete segments utilized for the tunnel lining were manufactured at a mechanized casting yard in Mundka and were steam-cured to ensure early strength.
To ensure safety, DMRC closely monitored ground movement during the tunneling process to prevent any surface settlement beneath existing structures.
As part of Phase IV, a total of 40.1 kilometers of underground metro lines are being constructed, with the Tughlakabad–Aerocity corridor accounting for 19.3 kilometers of that total.
This latest development represents a significant advancement in the ongoing expansion of the Delhi Metro network, which aims to enhance connectivity and address urban transportation challenges in the national capital.
