The National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) on Wednesday said that cross passages are being constructed parallel to the underground section of the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) corridor to ensure safety of the commuters. Cross-passage is a part between the two tunnels which enables movement of people from one tunnel to another in case of necessity or emergency. These cross passages are being constructed to connect both the tunnels based on New Australian Tunneling Method (NATM) technology.
According to NCRTC, two parallel tunnels are being made for the movement of trains on each route. Also, provision of one cross passage has been made in these tunnels at a distance of every 250 metres. These cross passages are helpful in the operation of trains and the safety of passengers in case of emergency in the underground section. In case of an emergency, if train operations in one tunnel stop due to any unforeseen reasons, then through these cross passages’ commuters can be evacuated from the other tunnel.
A total of 6 tunnels are being made in Meerut on the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut corridor, in which a total of 9 cross-passages will be constructed. A total of 6 cross passages in 2 km long parallel tunnels being constructed between Bhainsali to Meerut Central, a total of 2 cross passages in 1 km long parallel tunnels between Bhainsali to Begumpul and 1 cross-passage between about 700 m long parallel tunnels between Gandhi Bagh to Begumpul. A total of 4 tunnels are also to be constructed on the RRTS corridor in Delhi, in which a total of 12 cross-passages will be constructed. A total of 8 cross-passages will be constructed in both the 3 km long parallel tunnels under construction between New Ashok Nagar to Anand Vihar and a total of 4 cross-passages will be constructed in the 2 km long parallel tunnels being made between Anand Vihar to Sahibabad.
“About 90 meters long Sudarshan (tunnel boring machine) is being used for tunnelling in the RRTS project. This Sudarshan moves forward by cutting the soil and installing the tunnel rings. In this way, the tunnel construction keeps progressing as it moves forward. Tunnelling with the help of a TBM is one of the most advanced techniques. For the first time in any urban mass transit project in India, tunnel of a 6.5 meter diameter is being constructed. Provision of various security measures has also been made to ensure the safety of the passengers in the underground portion,” it said.
The construction of the cross passage is one such provision. Apart from this, ventilation ducts are being constructed to ensure the air circulation in the RRTS tunnel. Also, a side walkway of 60-90 cm wide are being constructed in the tunnels, which will not only assist in maintenance activities but will also help in case of emergencies.
