As reported this week, the first tunnel boring machine for Pune Metro’s Swargate to Katraj underground extension has reached the project site and is being assembled at the Swargate launching shaft. A second machine is due from Chennai by the end of November, with the remaining two TBMs expected in six to eight months for tunnelling toward Katraj. Director works Atul Gadgil said the first two machines will launch from Swargate about a month apart, and that the phased schedule does not mark a delay. The 5.46 km extension is planned fully underground, with tunnelling aimed to start around January once shafts are ready.
This is significant as TBM arrival is the gate that turns civil preparation into bored twin tunnels under dense south Pune. Four machines working from both ends toward Padmavati will decide how fast Market Yard, Padmavati and Katraj gain metro access. For contractors and segment suppliers, the assembly and launch cadence sets near term equipment and labour demand.
In our expert opinion, the first TBM will start boring in January 2027 if the Swargate shaft finishes on the current plan, and average advance near 10 metres a day per machine will hold only if rock conditions match Phase 1 lessons. A slip past February on first launch would push the Katraj opening timeline. Coverage that treats arrival alone as completion ignores shaft readiness and the long wait for the Katraj pair of machines.
This is important for our readers because you should confirm TBM launch dates and segment plant capacity with Maha Metro this week. Map supply windows for the second machine arriving from Chennai. Stress test south Pune ridership forecasts against a January tunnelling start rather than an earlier hope date.
Hindustan Times, 6 November 2026. Pune Mirror, 4 November 2026.
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