Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has successfully completed tunnelling at the deepest underground section of Phase-IV with a tunnel breakthrough at the IGNOU Station site (from Chhatarpur Mandir) on the Aerocity-Tughlakabad Corridor (Golden Line). This significant achievement took place in the presence of Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Tuesday. The new tunnel has been built at an average depth of around 27 metres, one of Delhi Metro’s deepest. The Delhi Metro noted that work on a parallel tunnel between Chhatarpur Mandir (Aerocity) and IGNOU (Tughlakabad) was completed in February. With the latest breakthrough, tunnelling for both up and down lines has now been finished.
Addressing the media, the chief minister stated that this is a proud moment not only for Delhi Metro but for all residents of Delhi. She expressed happiness in announcing that with the tunnel breakthrough at IGNOU Station, the deepest underground passage of Delhi Metro Phase-4 has been successfully completed.
This marks a crucial step toward making public transport in Delhi more efficient, accessible and environmentally sustainable. The tunnel will not only make commuting easier for citizens of Delhi but will also help in reducing traffic congestion and pollution. She further emphasised that this breakthrough is not just an engineering achievement but a testament to collective efforts. The government extends its gratitude to the engineers, workers, metro officials, and technical experts who have worked tirelessly to bring this project to completion.
The CM highlighted that Delhi Metro has now become the lifeline of the Delhi-NCR region. She also acknowledged the contributions of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Madan Lal Khurana in the development of Delhi Metro. She noted that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the country’s infrastructure be it expressways, metro, or rapid transport-is expanding rapidly, bringing pride to all citizens. As India progresses, Delhi is advancing at the same pace. She also said such breakthroughs are crucial for underground tunnel construction in crowded urban areas. The newly constructed tunnel, one of Delhi Metro’s deepest, is built at an average depth of 27 meters. Despite geological challenges such as presence of hard rocks, state-of-the-art tunnel boring machines were used to ensure smooth construction in densely populated areas.
40.10 km of underground track is being built under Phase-4 of Delhi Metro, including a 19.34 km underground stretch on the Aerocity-Tughlakabad corridor. This expansion will provide a safer, faster, and more convenient travel option for millions of passengers while reducing road congestion and air pollution.
