The Nhon - Hanoi Railway Station metro tunnel digging robot has dug nearly 100m.

Mr. Vu The Manh, the main engineer in charge of tunnel construction at the Nhon - Hanoi Railway Station project, said that the TBM1 tunnel boring machine named "Than Toc" started drilling on July 30.

“On average, the robot digs about 10m per day. There are times when digging in good geological conditions can dig more, but in difficult conditions, the productivity is a bit lower. Currently, TBM1 has dug nearly 100m from behind the station into the ground,” engineer Vu The Manh informed.

6f975557 1fec 430b 9269 19a662c82b8b.jpeg — *Engineering team in the underground metro section Nhon - Hanoi station. Photo: N. Dung*

According to engineer Vu The Manh, the tunneling speed depends on the surrounding geological properties as well as logistics factors, to minimize the impact on above-ground structures.

TBM1 will stop after excavating 1.5m to install the tunnel lining, then continue the cycle. All of this tunnel lining is manufactured at a factory in Ha Nam.

According to the plan, after TBM1 has dug 240m, TBM2 named "Bold" will start operating. It is expected that on September 30, the robot "Bold" will start digging the tunnel.

Two tunnel boring machines were specially designed for Hanoi’s geology, along the route with depths ranging from about 10m to 28m. The deepest location is the escape point at the Nui Truc intersection. According to the plan, the two machines will take about 16 months to complete the entire 4km underground tunnel.

Nhon - Hanoi Railway Station Metro is one of the key national projects. S9 Kim Ma underground station is the first underground station of the line to be constructed. The underground section will run through 4 stations from Cau Giay to Hanoi Railway Station.

667f5d4a 97bd 4f54 ba6b 38795467d0dd.jpeg — *TBM1 has dug nearly 100m. Photo: N. Dung*

Engineer Vu The Manh added that the tunnel excavation is not affected by weather conditions. Currently, on the ground, the project has designed and installed a geotechnical monitoring system to ensure regular monitoring, tracking ground movement and subsidence. Below ground, the project has established a drainage system.

In parallel with the tunnel construction process using TBM, other construction items of the underground section (underground ramps, underground stations, garages and lane change roads) continue to be implemented in parallel according to plan.

Nhon - Hanoi station metro goes through 8 elevated stations and 4 underground stations with a total length of 12.5km, of which the elevated section (Nhon - Cau Giay) is 8.5km long and the underground section (Cau Giay - Hanoi station) is 4km long, the depot is located in Nhon.