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Delhi Metro's Golden Line corridor reaches key tunneling milestone
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) on Friday completed a significant tunnelling milestone on the Aerocity–Tughlakabad corridor—also known as the Golden Line—after a Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) broke through at Tughlakabad Railway Colony station. The breakthrough marked the completion of a 792-metre-long underground tunnel stretch excavated from Maa Anandmayee Marg, officials said.
The tunnel, built at an average depth of 18 metres, is part of the 19.3-kilometre underground alignment of the corridor, which spans 23.6 kilometres in total. Once complete, it is expected to bolster east-west connectivity in South Delhi and provide a seamless interchange with the Violet Line at Tughlakabad.
The event was attended by Delhi's health and transport minister Dr Pankaj Kumar Singh, DMRC managing director Dr Vikas Kumar, and other senior officials. A parallel tunnel for the up and down movement is expected to be completed by July 2026.
'This breakthrough is not just a technical achievement but a symbol of renewed momentum,' said Singh. 'What was once stalled is now moving at full speed. Today's event serves both as an inspection and a celebration. Going forward, we will further accelerate metro expansion and ensure that Delhi's citizens receive the quality infrastructure and services they truly deserve,' minister Singh added.
The Aerocity–Tughlakabad stretch forms one of three corridors under construction as part of DMRC's Phase-4 expansion. The other two include the Janakpuri West–RK Ashram extension of the Magenta Line and the Majlis Park–Maujpur extension of the Pink Line, officials said. While the Pink Line extension is expected to be completed by the end of 2025, the Golden Line and Magenta Line corridors are scheduled for completion by mid-2026.
Anuj Dayal, principal executive director of corporate communications at DMRC, said that ground movement during excavation was carefully monitored using precision instruments fixed to nearby buildings to avoid any structural disturbances or surface settlement.
