Thamirabarani TBM Completes Challenging Chetpet Underpass for Chennai Metro

Chennai Metro Rail’s tunnel boring machine (TBM) Thamirabarani has successfully completed tunnelling beneath the Chetpet suburban railway station and lake as part of Corridor 3 of the 118.9-km Phase-II project.

Corridor 3 spans 45.8 km from Madhavaram to Siruseri, passing through key neighbourhoods like Chetpet, Kilpauk Medical College (KMC), Nungambakkam, Mylapore, and Adyar. The TBM, deployed for the underground stretch between Chetpet and KMC, has so far completed 260 meters of the 677-meter section and is expected to reach KMC station by September 2025.

It took 41 days to tunnel 18 meters beneath the suburban station and 43 days to bore 17 meters under the lake.

Once operational, the new stations at Chetpet and KMC will improve citywide connectivity through enhanced multi-modal integration. Commuters can switch between suburban rail and Metro at Chetpet, while KMC will serve as a key interchange between Phase-I and Phase-II corridors.

News by Rahul Yelligetti.