Twin Tunnel Success for Herrenknecht in Himalayas

Herrenknecht reports that a second Single Shield tunnel boring machine has completed its drive on the new railway line between Rishikesh and Karnaprayag in the Indian Himalayas. This marks the completion of two parallel tubes for a more than 20-kilometre tunnel system, which the company says will help cut travel times from seven hours to just over two. The project, commissioned by Rail Vikas Nigam Limited and delivered by Larsen & Toubro, is described as a significant milestone in a region where tunnelling has historically been challenging.

According to Herrenknecht, the TBMs were custom-designed to handle the area's complex geology, including phyllite rock and active ground movement. Features such as torque box cylinders for cutterhead adjustment and an Integrated Seismic Prediction (ISP) system for real-time geological analysis were included to support safer, more efficient excavation. The company also notes that the machines achieved daily advances of up to 39 metres under these conditions.

“This is a great advantage for our customers and, of course, especially for our colleagues on the machine.” said Sumit Gaur, Herrenknecht’s project manager on site.

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