Chennai Metro Rail completes tunnel between Panagal Park and Kodambakkam for phase II project
In a couple of years, when the track is laid and stations get ready, you will be able to hop onto this underground line and travel from Kodambakkam to T. Nagar. This section is part of corridor 4 of the phase II project which traverses from Poonamallee to Light House via T. Nagar.
Work began last year
In May 2024, TBM Peacock began boring the earth from Panagal Park. In the last 14 months, the machine created a tunnel under Usman Road flyover and Kodambakkam flyover and the Kodambakkam Suburban Railway Station and snaked its way till Kodambakkam, near Meenakshi College for Women, covering a distance of two km and made a breakthrough on Wednesday afternoon.
The corridor 4 which starts as an elevated section takes a plunge at this point in Kodambakkam, opposite to Meenakshi College for Women, and turns into an underground section till Light House. T. Archunan, director (projects), Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) said no other tunnel in the city is as long as this stretch (between two stations)and the breakthrough was achieved without unsettling any of the establishments close by. 'The diaphragm wall at Kodambakkam was built just three metres away from the Kodambakkam Suburban Railway Line. This was no easy feat. When the TBM bored under the Kodambakkam Suburban Railway Line, the trains passing through the track had speed restrictions of 15 -25 kmph for 15 days. Apart from tunnelling under flyovers and the railway track, the TBM bored under nearly 190 buildings, and a sizable number of them were pretty old, dilapidated ones too,' he said. Dibyendu Choudhuri, former project director for this stretch with ITD Cementation India Limited, said they dealt with mixed soil conditions between Panagal Park - Kodambakkam stretch, which was quite challenging.
'In T. Nagar it was a combination of clayey and sandy soil. Beyond that, it became rock. In some parts in Kodambakkam, while the upper layer was clayey, the lower part was rock which made it a bit difficult to tunnel through. We also had to change the cutter discs on 18 occasions,' he recalled.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
6 days ago
- The Hindu
Chennai Metro Rail's phase II project halts two tunnel boring machines
Two tunnel boring machines (TBMs) deployed for Chennai Metro Rail's phase II project to build an underground network between Light House and Thirumayilai have been temporarily stopped now. Flamingo and Eagle, the two TBMs, started their tunnelling journey nearly two years back from the Light House station and are scheduled to reach the Thirumayilai Metro Rail's phase II station shortly. After passing through nearly 160 buildings, which include an old church, school and an embassy, Flamingo TBM and the Eagle TBM are currently taking a break from the tunnelling work. According to officials in the Chennai Metro Rail project, both the TBMs are now going through a process called cutter head intervention. 'Cutter head, an important unit in a TBM endures a lot of wear and tear while boring the earth. Hence, we are now carrying out the cutter head intervention process wherein the tools of the cutter head are changed. This will take some time and then the machines will resume their drilling work,' an official said. Both Flamingo and Eagle have to drill a total of 1.9 km to build twin tunnels linking Light House with Thirumayilai. This 1.9 km stretch currently getting shaped is an underground section in corridor 4 of the phase II project which connects Light House with Poonamallee via Thirumayilai and T-Nagar. 'We encountered difficult soil strata along this Light House-Thirumayilai stretch. Initially, closer to the Marina Beach, there was sandy soil, and then subsequently, there was some clayey soil and rock at some points. But in many locations, there was abrasive sand which made tunnelling pretty difficult. We had to change the parts of the cutter head as many as 25 times,' he added. This 1.9 km tunnelling stretch covers three underground stations — Light House, Kutchery Road and Thirumayilai. While the Flamingo TBM commenced the drilling work first in September 2023, it will be the second TBM Eagle which will complete the tunnelling first, make a breakthrough first, and be taken out in the first week of October. This is because the Kutchery Road underground station has been planned as a stacked station — wherein the tunnels are one above the other. The TBM Eagle is on top, and Flamingo is below it. 'If Eagle is taken out first, then we can proceed with the Kutchery Road station construction,' he added. While Flamingo is nearly 100 metres from Thirumayilai, Eagle is a little far, about 550 metres away.
News18
24-07-2025
- News18
Chennai Metro: ‘Peacock' TBM Breaks Through After 14-Month Underground Mission, Know More
Last Updated: After 14 months of drilling through rock and clay, Chennai Metro's 'Peacock' TBM has completed a challenging underground stretch. Chennai Metro Rail's tunnel boring machine (TBM) 'Peacock' has successfully completed a crucial underground tunnel from Panagal Park to Kodambakkam. This 2-km stretch, part of Corridor 4 under Phase II, will eventually allow commuters to travel smoothly between Kodambakkam and T. Nagar, avoiding traffic chaos above ground, as per The Hindu. When Did Work Begin? The journey began in May 2024. Over the last 14 months, TBM Peacock drilled through different layers of soil, navigating under major structures like the Usman Road and Kodambakkam flyovers, the Kodambakkam Suburban Railway Station, and even below 190 buildings – some of them over 50 years old. Despite these challenges, the breakthrough was achieved on Wednesday afternoon near Meenakshi College for Women, without damaging the surrounding buildings or disturbing daily life. How Difficult Was It? The tunnel passes just three metres away from the Kodambakkam Suburban Railway Line. For safety, train speeds were temporarily reduced to 15–25 kmph for two weeks. The machine also had to drill through mixed soil – sandy, clayey, and rocky layers – especially tough in the Kodambakkam area. To tackle this, engineers had to change the cutter discs 18 times during the operation. Yet, TBM Peacock stayed on track and completed the stretch efficiently. What's Next for Corridor 4? This part of Corridor 4 runs from Poonamallee to Light House via T. Nagar. The tunnel from Kodambakkam will now extend underground all the way to Light House. Once tracks are laid and stations are built, this route will greatly reduce travel time for thousands of commuters. view comments First Published: July 24, 2025, 12:59 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
The Hindu
23-07-2025
- The Hindu
Chennai Metro Rail completes tunnel between Panagal Park and Kodambakkam for phase II project
After 14 months underground, Chennai Metro Rail's tunnel boring machine 'Peacock' made a breakthrough at Kodambakkam on Wednesday, successfully creating a two-km tunnel between Panagal Park and Kodambakkam as part of the upcoming phase II project. In a couple of years, when the track is laid and stations get ready, you will be able to hop onto this underground line and travel from Kodambakkam to T. Nagar. This section is part of corridor 4 of the phase II project which traverses from Poonamallee to Light House via T. Nagar. Work began last year In May 2024, TBM Peacock began boring the earth from Panagal Park. In the last 14 months, the machine created a tunnel under Usman Road flyover and Kodambakkam flyover and the Kodambakkam Suburban Railway Station and snaked its way till Kodambakkam, near Meenakshi College for Women, covering a distance of two km and made a breakthrough on Wednesday afternoon. The corridor 4 which starts as an elevated section takes a plunge at this point in Kodambakkam, opposite to Meenakshi College for Women, and turns into an underground section till Light House. T. Archunan, director (projects), Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) said no other tunnel in the city is as long as this stretch (between two stations)and the breakthrough was achieved without unsettling any of the establishments close by. 'The diaphragm wall at Kodambakkam was built just three metres away from the Kodambakkam Suburban Railway Line. This was no easy feat. When the TBM bored under the Kodambakkam Suburban Railway Line, the trains passing through the track had speed restrictions of 15 -25 kmph for 15 days. Apart from tunnelling under flyovers and the railway track, the TBM bored under nearly 190 buildings, and a sizable number of them were pretty old, dilapidated ones too,' he said. Dibyendu Choudhuri, former project director for this stretch with ITD Cementation India Limited, said they dealt with mixed soil conditions between Panagal Park - Kodambakkam stretch, which was quite challenging. 'In T. Nagar it was a combination of clayey and sandy soil. Beyond that, it became rock. In some parts in Kodambakkam, while the upper layer was clayey, the lower part was rock which made it a bit difficult to tunnel through. We also had to change the cutter discs on 18 occasions,' he recalled.
