METR

O
TRAIN
S
(under
INTRODUCTION
 A metro system underground tunnel is
an electric passenger railway in an urban
area with a high capacity and frequency,
and separation from other traffic. Rapid
transit systems are typically located either
in underground tunnels or on elevated
rails above street level.
But here only metro train
(underground tunnels) have been
discussed.
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 Underground tunnels fall under traffic
tunnels (all tunnels which are excavated to
divert the traffic load).
 Rapid transit evolved from steam railways

during the late 19th century and now a

days it has become a necessity for the
larger cities all over the world.
 Rapid transit of India consists of

“metros” (both elevated and underground)

and it started in1984(Kolkata Metro).
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 Rapid transit has been in use in all major
cities of India (Kolkata, New Delhi, etc.)
and some are under construction (Jaipur,
Chennai, etc.) or in planning (Kanpur,
Patna, etc.).
 The underground tunnel metro trains are

very helpful for rapid transit of any country

because these reduce the congestion in
transportation system. But it (tunnelling)
has been one of the most challenging jobs for
engineers.
METRO
UNDERGROUND
TUNNELS Underground


tunnels are the

underground
route or passage
driven through the
ground without
disturbing the
overlying soil or
rock cover.
 TERMINOL
OGY Excavation in
multiple drifts
Transportation tunnel cross-sections

Crown Top heading

Core (strozze) Springline Bench

Wall
Invert Bottom

Circular Horseshoe Vertical walls arch roof

TERMINOLOGY
 Crown: The uppermost part of the tunnel,
 Drift : A horizontal excavation ,
 Heading : The excavated face of the tunnel,
 Invert : The bottom (floor) of the tunnel,

 Wall : The side of the tunnel,

 Portal : The tunnel entrance,
 Springline : The line at which the tunnel

wall breaks from sloping outward to sloping

inward toward the crown.
MACHINE USED FOR
EXCAVATING TUNNELS

TUNNEL BORING MACHINE

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 TBM(Tunnel boring machine) is
usually used in rail transportation
system for excavation.
 Underground tunnels move
traffic away from street level,
leaving more land available for
buildings and other uses. In areas
of high land prices and dense land
use, tunnels may be the only
economic route for the fast
transportation.
 Excavation of underground
tunnels is a very difficult job. It
requires sound knowledge of
rocks and soil.
METHODS OF TUNNELLING
 Following are some of
the methods used for
tunnelling:-
1. Cut and cover
2. Drill and blast,
3. Bored,
4. Sequential
excavation, etc.
But bored tunnelling is
the most common
method which is used
for excavation in
“METRO”.
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 Bored tunnelling is done mainly by using TBM
(tunnel boring machine) in rail transportation
system.
 It can also be done by using high intensive LASER

light.
 The choice of tunnelling method may be
dictated by geological and hydrological conditions,
cross-section and length of continuous tunnel,local
experience and time/cost considerations (what is the
value of time in the project), limits of surface
disturbance, and many others factors.
 NECESSITY….
 India being an overpopulated and a
developing country, needed a much
faster and easy public
transportation which could easily
fulfill the need of fast and busy lives
of people. The rapid transit system
(metro) can fulfill these needs. Also
underground tunnels can be very
useful for saving land that can be
used for other purposes example
construction of houses etc.
Hence a need for superfast metro
trains emerged largely in cities
of India…
MERITS…………..
 Reduce congestion problems in
transportation,
 Saving time,
 Economical for the people,
 Produce less pollution in environment,
 Transportation become very fast & secure,
 It saves land for building construction &

other purposes, etc.

DEMERITS…………
 During tunnel construction whole
transportation system of the city is disturbed.
 Need of skilled labour.
 The capital cost is high.
 Potential environmental impacts in terms of
noise, dust and visual on sensitive receives
and the areas located near the tunnel portal.
 Tunnelling involves the use of heavy
machines which causes high risk to mankind
and property…
HAZARDS
 Owing to the enclosed space of a tunnel, fires
can have very serious effects on users.
 The main dangers are gas and smoke
production, with low concentrations of carbon
monoxide being highly toxic.
Fires killed 11 people in the
Gotthard tunnel fire of 2001 for example, all
of the victims succumbing to smoke and gas
inhalation. Over 400 passengers died in the
Balvano train disaster in Italy in 1944, when
the locomotive halted in a long tunnel, etc…
SAFETY & SECURITY
 Rapid transits are a public space, and may suffer from
security problems: petty crimes such as pick
pocketing and baggage theft, and more serious crimes
such as violence. Security measures include video
surveillance, security guards and conductors.
 Rapid transits have been subject to terrorism with many
casualties, such as The 1995 Tokyo subway sarin gas
attack.
 Compared to other modes of transport, rapid transit has a
good safety record, with few accidents. Rail transport is
subject to strict safety regulations, with requirements
for procedure and maintenance to minimize risk.
TUNNEL V/S BRIDGE
 Tunnels are always preferred over bridge (if
possible). Since tunnel is generally more costly to
construct than a bridge.
 But bridges usually require a larger footprint on
each shore than tunnels. There are actually more
codes to follow with bridges than with tunnels.
 Other reasons for choosing a tunnel instead of a
bridge include avoiding difficulties with tides,
weather and shipping during construction, aesthetic
reasons (preserving the above-ground view,
landscape, and scenery), and also for weight
capacity reasons (it may be more feasible to build a
tunnel than a sufficiently strong bridge).
Etc……
QUERIES ?
??
THANK
YOU…