NEWS |


Another breakthrough marked for Chennai Metro Rail Phase II


Porr progress on power plant conversion GERMANY - Porr has completed a key section of the access tunnel for the Rudolf Fettweis power plant conversion in Germany. The run-of-river power plant was


commissioned in 1914 and is being changed to pumped storage. The access tunnel recently completed


passes under Highway 462 then divides into a further stretch of access tunnel and toward plus a cavern and energy discharge tunnel. The total excavated length of the project is around 5.3km, of which around 4.7km is tunnels. The power plant cavern (123m long


x 20m x 42m, LxWxH) calls for around 400,000m3


of excavation, of which half is


intended for water storage in the main and secondary tunnels. Construction works are to finish in 2027. Porr is responsible for the of construction


Above: More TBM breakthrough success on Chennai metro PHOTO CREDIT: TERRATEC


INDIA - The Chennai Metro Rail Phase II Corridor 3 project has celebrated a further milestone on the major project with a breakthrough at Otteri Station. TBM ‘Kolli’, an earth pressure


balance (EPB) machine manufactured by Terratec, broke through recently. The event was attended by


representatives from the project owner, Chennai Metro Rail Ltd (CMRL), and the contractor, Tata Projects Ltd. The EPBM (ref no S81B) ‘Kolli’


is one of seven TBMs boring on the 9km-long twin tunnels for the section of Chennai Metro Rail Phase II Corridor 3 stretching from Venugopal Nagar Station to Kelly’s Station. The 6.61m-diameter TBM was


launched from Chennai Metro Line-3’s Ayanavaram Station South Shaft in July 2023 and achieved its breakthrough after 13 months of continuous operation, excavating 903m of up-line towards Otteri Station. Terratec has supplied five of


the seven TBMs required for this package and has also achieved breakthroughs on the project. TBM S96 achieved its


breakthrough in August 2023 at Madhavaran High Road, while TBM


8 | January 2025


S98 made its breakthroughs in June 2023 and June 2024, at Venugopal Nagar Station (of Line-5) and Otteri Station, respectively. TBM S99 celebrated its breakthrough at Venugopal Nagar Station in September 2023. The Chennai Metro Project Phase


II Corridor 3 Package TU01 includes diaphragm walls, the construction of entry and exit structures for Madhavaram Milk Colony Station, Murari Hospital Station, Ayanavaram Station, and Purasaiwakkam High Road Station, and TBM launch and retrieval shafts at these stations. The project also faces the challenge of tunnelling beneath historical structures in densely populated areas. Terratec’s TBMs are equipped


with versatile mixed-ground dome- style cutterheads that effectively handle various geological conditions, including sand, silt, clay, and weathered rock. The TBMs progress with the installation of 1,400mm-wide and 275mm-thick universal reinforced concrete lining rings, comprising five segments and a key. Chennai Metro Rail Ltd’s Phase II


extension comprises three corridors and 116.1km of new metro rail. A total of 23 TBMs will be used for the project.


of mined caverns, water reservoirs and tunnels, the shell of the power plant cavern, construction of two pressure shafts, and foundation engineering work.


Gateway executes US$3.8bn federal grant US - The Gateway Development Commission (GDC) has executed the US$3.8bn Federal-State Partnership (FSP) Grant agreement with the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), completing the US$12bn federal contribution for the Hudson Tunnel Project. The action also immediately obligates


the initial US$1.9bn from the grant. Together with the US$800 million in New


Starts Capital Investment Grant Program funding that has already been obligated, GDC now has US$2.7bn in grant funds available for the project. In addition, the local share of the Hudson Tunnel Project comprising US$4bn is available to advance construction. The FSP Grant Program was established


by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to fund capital projects that reduce the state of good repair backlog, improve performance, or expand or establish new intercity passenger rail service. GDC applied for an FSP Grant in March 2023 and all US$3.8bn requested was committed in November 2023. The grant is part of the historic US$12bn


in federal funding to the HTP – the largest federal funding commitment to a rail transport project in modern history - and will cover 70% of costs.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49