TERRATEC announced the delivery of another EPB TBM for Surat. This unit is a new 6.61-m diameter Earth Pressure Balance Tunnel Boring Machine (EPBM) that will be used on Phase I of Surat Metro Rail Project in India following successful factory acceptance. This indicates all the machines for Phase 1 of Surat Metro Rail project will be from TERRATEC.

TERRATEC has secured all machine orders for this project: A combination of both brand new and refurbished EPBMs will be used. For Package UG-01, Gulermak will use a brand new EPBM and a refurbished TBM. For Package UG-02, JKumar will use two refurbished TBMs. TERRATEC provides all spare parts, onsite technical assistance and a key field service engineer for the whole refabrication.

The Surat Metro is an under-construction rapid transit rail system for Surat in Gujarat state of India. Two corridors with a combined length of 40.35 km are under construction since January 2021. The project is expected to be completed by December 2023. The new TBM will now be transported to India, then reassembled on-site with the help of TERRATEC field service team.

The geological conditions along the tunnel alignments will be sand, clay, gravel and silt. A twin bored underground tunnel will be built between the Northern ramp and Surat Railway Metro station, using all cut and cover method across 6 underground stations. For Package UG-01, it covers Kapodra, Labheshwar Chowk and Central Warehouse stations. For Package UG-02, it covers Chowk Bazar, Maskati Hospital and Surat Railway stations.

This latest new TBM will be used by Gulermak-Sam India JV for Gujarat Metro Rail Corporation Limited to complete the tunneling works for Phase I of Surat Metro Rail Project. Package UG-01 and Package UG-02 consist of a 7 km underground tunnel and six underground stations.

The versatile TERRATEC EPBM units have robust mixed-face dome-style cutterheads designed to work effectively in the soil composed of sand, clay, gravel and silt. As the TBMs progress, they will install 1,500-mm wide by 275-mm thick precast concrete lining rings.

For added versatility, TERRATEC has designed the cutterhead to allow the cutting tools to be exchangeable for 17-in. disc cutters, allowing the TBM to be able to bore through the D-walls and cope with the presence of any unexpected obstacle on its way, such as old wells or foundations.

Muck removal, segment transport and logistics supply will be via locomotive and muck cars.

Surat is a city in the Western Indian state of Gujarat and is one of the world’s fastest growing cities. In Phase 1, 20 metro stations will be built on the first corridor from Sarthana to DREAM City route and 18 metro stations will be built on the second corridor from Bhesan to Saroli.

TERRATEC has delivered multiple machines across India for projects including Phase III of the Delhi Metro, Lucknow Metro, Pune Metro, Kanpur Metro, Ahmadabad Metro and Mumbai Metro.

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