September 22, 2025: The first set of tunnel boring machines (TBMs) for a major underground infrastructure project in Mumbai is scheduled to arrive at Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) from China by September 24, officials confirmed. A second set of TBMs is expected to follow in the coming weeks.
Out of the 21 km-long tunnel, a 4.8 km breakthrough was achieved recently using the NATM method. For the construction of the remaining section, TBMs will now be deployed.
Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw confirmed that the machines had been dispatched from China. Sources said the first set is currently aboard the vessel Chipol Xiongan, which left Nansha Port on September 7 carrying 18 packages and two containers weighing a total of 934 metric tonnes. “The consignment will undergo customs clearance at JNPA before being transported to the tunneling site, a process expected to take around 10 days. As a result, unloading and transportation to the construction sites are likely to be completed in the first week of October,” an official said.
The three TBMs, engineered by German tunneling specialist Herrenknecht, were manufactured at its Guangzhou, China, facility. They will be deployed via vertical shafts at Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC), Vikhroli, and Sawli, which will serve as entry and exit points for the underground tunnel. Additional preparatory works, including a 42-meter inclined shaft at Ghansoli and a portal at Shilphata, are being carried out by engineering firm Afcons.
The TBM delivery faced significant delays due to geopolitical tensions, including the India-China standoff in Galwan. The shipment had been held at a Chinese port since early 2025. In response, the Ministry of Railways escalated the matter to the Ministry of External Affairs. Sources added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi reportedly raised the issue with Chinese President Xi Jinping, after which the consignment was cleared for dispatch.
Source: The Free Press Journal
