Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS: Tunnelling In Underground Section Of Meerut Completed

The Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) project has achieved a significant milestone with the completion of tunnelling in Meerut's underground section.

Sudarshan 8.2, the tunneling boring machine (TBM), boring the sixth tunnel from Bhainsali to Begumpul, started the retrieval process on Monday (24 July) at a depth of 14 m from the retrieving shaft built at Begumpul.

This marks the successful conclusion of the tunnelling process in Meerut.

The underground section in Meerut comprises three stations, namely Meerut Central, Bhainsali, and Begumpul, connecting the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS corridor.

To connect these stations, a total of six parallel tunnels have been constructed in three segments. This sixth and last tunnel stretches over one kilometre between Bhainsali to Begumpul.

It is with the dedication and perseverance of the NCRTC team that this remarkable feat of completing the tunnelling of all three sets of parallel tunnels, of the entire underground section in Meerut spanning approximately 5.5 km, has been achieved within 15 months.

The first tunnel breakthrough in Meerut was achieved in October 2022.

At present, track laying and OHE installation are being carried out in the already completed tunnels. About 35,000 pre-cast segments have been used for the construction of all six tunnels in Meerut.

In the tunnelling process, seven segments are combined to make one ring. Each segment is 1.5-m-long and 275-mm-thick. These segments and rings are connected with the help of bolts.

The diameter of the RRTS tunnels is 6.5 m, which is highly optimised as compared to global benchmarks of tunnels for a similar design speed of 180 kmph, with wider and higher rolling stock.

In the section, the tunnel is crossing the congested areas of the city, passing under the Begumpul drain to reach the Begumpul station. To cross the drain by Sudarshan 8.2 (TBM), the latest techniques were used and utmost care was taken by the tunnel experts.

The section also had a very sharp bend of a 600 m radius, making tunnelling by TBM a demanding task. Despite these difficulties, the NCRTC team made it possible.

Among the underground stations, Meerut Central and Bhainsali will serve as metro stations, while Begumpul station will provide the services of both local metro and RAPIDX.

NCRTC is going to provide the local transit services, Meerut Metro, on the RRTS network itself, with 13 stations covering a distance of 23 km.

The entire corridor is scheduled to be operational for the public by 2025. The project is poised to revolutionise the urban transportation landscape in Meerut, providing commuters with a modern, efficient, and comfortable mode of travel.