3 tunnelling machines stuck at Chinese port, may slow down bullet train project
Mumbai: Three massive Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs), essential for building the underground section of the Mumbai–Ahmedabad bullet train corridor, are stuck at a Chinese port and could potentially delay work on India's first high-speed rail project.
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Although the TBMs were ordered from German tunnelling specialist Herrenknecht, they were manufactured at its facility in Guangzhou, China. The consignments — two of them expected to arrive in India by Oct 2024 and one earlier this year— have not received clearance from Chinese authorities, who have cited no official reason for the hold-up.
The issue has raised diplomatic concerns, prompting the railway ministry to take the matter to the external affairs ministry.
Diplomatic channels have reportedly been activated to push for release of the equipment, which includes not just the TBMs but also parts critical for other infrastructure works.
The National High Speed Rail Corporation Ltd (NHSRCL) planned to commission them for tunnelling between BKC and Sawli (Ghansoli).
A prolonged delay in TBM deployment for the bullet train project could affect the underground tunnel construction schedule, especially for the critical 21-km stretch from BKC to Shilphata, which includes a 7-km undersea section beneath Thane creek, sources said.
Though NHSRCL officials refused to comment, sources maintained the overall project deadline remains unchanged for now.
The National High Speed Rail Corporation Ltd (NHSRCL), the development agency for the Rs 1.08 lakh crore Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR) project, planned to commission three TBMs — TBM-1 and TBM-2 for tunnelling between Sawli (Ghansoli)–Vikhroli and Vikhroli–BKC, and TBM-3 for Vikhroli to Sawli.
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While the first two were to arrive in Oct 2024, TBM-3 was scheduled to arrive earlier this year.
Since the Galwan clash between Indian and Chinese troops in June 2020, India has tightened scrutiny on Chinese investments. This has led to delays, cancellations, and increased bureaucratic oversight for Chinese-origin contracts and consignments. That year, MMRDA scrapped bids for the Mumbai Monorail project involving two Chinese firms.
Additionally, Maharashtra govt put on hold three major MoUs signed under the Magnetic Maharashtra 2.0 initiative with Chinese companies worth over Rs 5,000 crore.
TBMs for Mumbai's metro network and coastal road project also came from China, but that was before the 2020 Galwan clash. The TBM for the Thane Borivli tunnel project via Sanjay Gandhi National Park was manufactured at Herrenknecht's facility in Alinjivakkam, Tamil Nadu.
The TBMs for the bullet train project are not ordinary machines. One of them is the largest ever built for Indian soil, with a cutter head diameter of 13.56 m. In contrast, metro TBMs typically measure between 6.45 to 6.68 m in diameter. Even the 12.19-m 'Mavala' TBM used for Mumbai's coastal road project is smaller.
Manufactured at Herrenknecht's Guangzhou facility, the TBM is equipped with a mixshield configuration, designed to navigate varied geological conditions with precision.
It will be deployed by Afcons Infrastructure Ltd to excavate the 20.377-km underground Package C-2, stretching from BKC station to Shilphata ramp. This section includes the challenging 7-km subsea tunnel under Thane creek.
Afcons bagged the Rs 6,397 crore contract for this underground package in June 2023, with a completion timeline of 5.17 years. As part of preparatory work, the company is currently constructing three vertical shafts at BKC (36 m deep), Vikhroli (56 m), and Sawli (39 m).
These shafts will act as launch and retrieval points for the TBMs. An inclined shaft at Ghansoli (42 m) and a tunnel portal at Shilphata are also being developed to support 5 km of NATM (New Austrian Tunnelling Method) tunnelling.
Afcons Infrastructure Ltd officials refused to comment.
The tunnel will reach depths ranging from 25 to 65 m below ground level and dip as deep as 114 m beneath Parsik Hill near Shilphata.
Officials familiar with the developments said NHSRCL, Herrenknecht, Afcons, and the relevant ministries are working in coordination to resolve the impasse.
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