Indore Metro begins assembling 1,000-tonne tunnel boring machine for underground corridor

A 1,000-tonne Tunnel Boring Machine imported from Thailand is being assembled in Indore for the Metro's first underground corridor, running from the Airport to Kalani Nagar, the Free Press Journal reported. Officials expect assembly to take about a month before the machine is moved near the airport to begin excavation, most of its components having already arrived in the city aboard 11 trailers. The machine can excavate close to 20 metres a day while simultaneously installing pre-cast concrete segments to line the tunnel, and will bore two parallel tunnels, one for each direction of travel. Around 12 km of the wider Indore Metro network is planned to run underground, with officials estimating four to five years to complete that section, an underground station is also planned at the Airport. The report gives no cost figures, timeline for approvals, or details of environmental or community impact from the tunnelling work.