A robot is digging tunnels for the Nhon - Hanoi Station metro line to Cat Linh S10 station.

After more than 6 months of construction, on the morning of March 7th, the "lightning-fast" TBM tunnel boring machine officially arrived at Cat Linh S10 station.

The "lightning-fast" TBM (Tunnel Boring Machine) was the first to be launched in package CP03 - tunnels and underground stations of the Nhon - Hanoi Station metro line project, starting from S9 Kim Ma station on July 30, 2024.

After more than 6 months of safe operation, the machine has completed the drilling and installation of the tunnel lining, spanning over 1,338 meters, to reach Cat Linh S10 station.

According to Mr. Nguyen Ba Son, Deputy Head of the Hanoi Railway Management Board (MRB), TBM machine number 2 started operating from station S9 (Kim Ma station) on February 3rd. It is expected that both TBM machines will complete all tunnel boring work by the end of 2025.

The tunnel boring robot for the Nhon-Hanoi Metro line has reached Cat Linh station. Photo: T. Dung

After drilling is completed at station S12 - Hanoi station, the drill heads of the TBMs will be dismantled at this station, and the auxiliary equipment will be towed and dismantled at station S9 Kim Ma.

According to Mr. Son, the "rapid" progress of the TBM (Tunnel Boring Machine) officially reaching Cat Linh S10 station is a significant step forward for the project, marking a milestone that brings the project closer to the goal of completing the underground section to serve the people of Hanoi. As of March 2nd, the overall construction progress of package CP03 - tunnel and underground stations - reached 55.38%.

Engineers discuss the construction of the underground line. Photo: T. Dung

The Hanoi Urban Railway Management Board is committed to continuing to closely coordinate with relevant parties to complete the next phases, aiming to put the entire project into operation as soon as possible.

According to the plan, the underground section will be completed in 2027, after which the entire Hanoi Metro Line 3, Nhon - Hanoi Station section, will be put into operation, contributing to changing the face of the capital, conveniently connecting areas and promoting sustainable development and greening urban transportation.

Over 100 personnel operate the robots. Photo: T. Dung

The pair of TBMs were specifically designed for the Hanoi Metro Line 3 project, the Nhon - Hanoi Station section. Each machine is over 100 meters long and weighs approximately 850 tons. The total workforce for the construction is over 150 people.

The TBM (Tunnel Boring Machine) operates in a closed-loop cycle, excavating at a maximum speed of 60 mm/minute. After excavation is complete, a robot with a modern robotic arm immediately installs the tunnel lining behind the machine. The lining installation takes approximately 30-35 minutes for one tunnel section consisting of 6 pieces. The excavation and lining installation cycle is continuous.

The Nhon - Hanoi Station urban railway line is 12.5km long, with 8 elevated stations and 4 underground stations. Of this, the elevated section from Nhon to Cau Giay is 8.5km long, and the underground section from Cau Giay to Hanoi Station is 4km long.

The project commenced in 2009, with the elevated section from Nhon to Cau Giay scheduled for completion and operation in 2024.

According to the plan for 2030, Hanoi will have 10 urban railway lines with a total length of 417km, of which 342km will be elevated and 75km underground. Currently, only the Cat Linh - Ha Dong line, 13km long, is in commercial operation after 10 years of construction. The Nhon - Hanoi Station line runs an 8.5km elevated section after 15 years of construction, while the remaining 4km underground section is expected to be completed by 2027. The remaining 8 lines have not yet started construction.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/robot-dao-ham-ngam-tuyen-metro-nhon-ga-ha-noi-den-ga-s10-cat-linh-2378383.html