STN: The Afcons Infrastructure and Sam India consortium has completed a key milestone for the Kanpur Metro Orange Line. Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) Vidyarthi made its fourth and final breakthrough at Kanpur Central Station, completing all tunneling work under the city’s Phase 1 underground section.
The 23.78 km Kanpur Metro Line-1 connects IIT Kanpur with Naubasta. This achievement marks the 16th tunnel breakthrough for the project. The milestone highlights the Uttar Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation’s (UPMRC) steady execution pace and strong engineering efforts.
Final drive completed between Jhakarkatti and Kanpur Central
TBM Vidyarthi (S-639B), a Herrenknecht Earth Pressure Balance machine, completed a 944-meter tunnel drive between Jhakarkatti Station and Kanpur Central Station. This was the eighth and final breakthrough under Package KNPCC-06. The section covers the stretch from Nayaganj to the Transport Nagar Ramp.
The machine carried out four drives for the down-line tunnel:
- Kanpur Central to Nayaganj – 1,243 meters (Dec 2023 – Jun 2024)
- Swadeshi Cotton Mills Ramp to Transport Nagar – 331 meters (Sept – Nov 2024)
- Transport Nagar to Jhakarkatti – 714 meters (Jan – Apr 2025)
- Jhakarkatti to Kanpur Central – 944 meters (Jun – Oct 2025)
Project details and progress
The KNPCC-06 package was awarded to the Afcons-Sam India joint venture in March 2022 for ₹1,087.67 crore. It spans 4.65 km and includes three underground stations — Kanpur Central, Jhakarkatti, and Transport Nagar.
This breakthrough completes the tunneling work for the underground portion of Line-1. It brings Kanpur closer to completing its first full metro corridor between IIT Kanpur and Naubasta.
The up-line tunnel, constructed by TBM Azad (S-640B), achieved its fourth breakthrough on September 19, 2025.
The first underground package, KNPCC-05, handled by the Gulermak and Sam India Builtwell JV, became operational earlier this year. The 3.619 km stretch between MacRobertganj Ramp and Nayaganj Station opened for public use on May 30, 2025.
Kanpur Metro Orange Line nears completion
The Kanpur Metro Orange Line is progressing fast toward completion. The remaining 4.3 km elevated section (Package KNPCC-12), connecting Kanpur Central to Naubasta, is expected to open for public operations by late 2026.
UPMRC’s efficient project management has made Kanpur Metro one of India’s fastest urban rail developments.
Mrs. Mamta Shah, Managing Director and CEO of Urban Infra Group, said the achievement shows India’s growing expertise in metro construction. She added that TBM Vidyarthi’s final breakthrough reflects UPMRC’s commitment to quality and timely delivery.
With this, tunneling work for Line-1 is now complete. Major underground construction continues on Line-2 (Agriculture University to Barra-8), where KPIL-Gulermak JV has deployed three TBMs and achieved four breakthroughs so far.
FAQs
A: The Orange Line spans 23.78 km, connecting IIT Kanpur to Naubasta.
A: The underground sections are complete, and the elevated stretch is expected to open by late 2026.
A: The project is managed by the Uttar Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation (UPMRC) with major construction by Afcons Infrastructure, Sam India, and Gulermak JV.
A: Three. Kanpur Central, Jhakarkatti, and Transport Nagar.
A: The project team used two Tunnel Boring Machines, Vidyarthi and Azad, for the underground sections.
