Tunnel boring machines roll in as Metro gears up for underground breakthrough

Bhopal: Bhopal Metro project marked a significant milestone recently with tunnel boring machines (TBMs) positioned to begin excavation on the Orange Line's underground stretch.

The deployment of TBMs signals the start of one of the most technically challenging phases of the Metro.

The Orange Line, spanning nearly 15 kilometers from Karond intersection to AIIMS Bhopal, combines elevated and underground sections. While the elevated priority corridor between Subhash Nagar and AIIMS was inaugurated in Dec 2025, attention has now shifted to the subterranean works near Bhopal Railway Station, Nadra Bus Stand, and Pul Bogda. These dense urban zones require precision tunneling to minimize disruption and safeguard heritage structures. Officials from Madhya Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MPMRCL) confirmed that TBMs could lowered into launch shafts and are being readied for continuous boring operations.

The machines, each weighing several hundred tonnes, will carve twin tunnels to accommodate metro tracks and passenger movement. Engineers highlighted that soil conditions and water ingress present challenges, but modern TBM technology is designed to handle variable geology with minimal surface impact.

One started, ideally the stretch should be completed in about three months, official said. Orange Line is part of Bhopal's larger metro vision. The current two phase, Orange line and Blue are expected to be completed in about two years. Once operational, the underground section will ease congestion in the city's busiest transit hubs and provide seamless connectivity between residential and commercial clusters.

Urban planners view the TBM launch as a turning point for Bhopal's infrastructure ambitions.

"This is where the metro truly goes beneath the city, ensuring faster travel without disturbing surface life," said one project engineer.