3 Foreign TBMs Head to Lucknow for Charbagh-Vasant Kunj Corridor as Excavation Begins Nov 20

• by Akanksha Mishra
• 2026-11-02 14:25:00

In a historic leap for urban transit in Uttar Pradesh, the Uttar Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation (UPMRC) is ready to launch major underground tunnel excavations for the 11.12-kilometer East-West Corridor between Charbagh and Vasant Kunj starting after November 20. To execute the challenging sub-surface burrowing across the heritage heart of the state capital, three heavy-duty Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) imported from abroad will arrive in Lucknow within the next two weeks. Selected engineering firm Afcons Infrastructure, which secured the ₹1,632-crore civil contract for the 6.52-kilometer underground stretch connecting Charbagh to Chowk, is mobilizing shaft-digging equipment to simultaneously launch drilling rigs across three strategic launch shafts located at Charbagh, near Lucknow City Railway Station, and Chowk.

Pandeyganj to Surpass Howrah: Inside India’s Deepest 5-Story, Double-Decker Metro Station

The defining engineering feat of this underground corridor will be the upcoming Pandeyganj station, designed to eclipse Kolkata's Howrah Metro to become the deepest subterranean transit hub in India. Hemmed in by severe geographic constraints—flanked tightly by an active railway corridor on one side and a major municipal canal drain on the other—the mega-structure will plunge between 35 and 38 meters below the surface. Structured as a colossal five-story underground transit facility, Pandeyganj will also introduce the country’s first double-story stacked platform design, operating bidirectional up-and-down train lines on independent subterranean vertical decks. Navigating the treacherous, high-density residential fabric of Old Lucknow—including Aminabad, Pandeyganj, and the historic bazaars of Chowk—engineers will implement stringent geological stabilization and continuous structural monitoring to prevent ground settlement along the densely packed commercial alleys.

₹5,801-Crore Transit Blueprint: Elevated and Underground Construction Targets 2030 Launch

Constructed at an aggregate project valuation of ₹5,801 crore, the 11.12-kilometer corridor features an integrated mix of seven underground stations spanning 6.52 kilometers alongside a 4.6-kilometer elevated alignment housing five stations, whose ₹453-crore civil works tender was previously finalized in June. Operating with a maximum design speed of 90 kmph, the twin elevated and underground phases are scheduled to proceed simultaneously under a strict 36-month timeline to secure full commercial commissioning by 2030. According to official traffic projection models released by UPMRC, the corridor will absorb an estimated 321,958 daily commuters upon opening in 2030, surging steadily to 420,140 riders by 2041, 446,729 by 2051, and reaching an ultimate daily ridership volume of 448,519 by 2055, effectively unclogging the capital city's most congested transit arteries.

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