India, Nov. 6 -- The underground construction of the Pune Metro's Swargate-Katraj extension is set to gather pace, with the first Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) arriving at the project site and a second expected by the end of November. The remaining two machines are likely to arrive in the next six to eight months, officials said.

The first TBM is being assembled at the Swargate launching shaft, while the second is being dispatched from Chennai, with its components expected to reach Pune by November-end.

Atul Gadgil, director (works), said the first two machines would be deployed from the Swargate launching shaft, with a gap of about a month between their deployment.

"The first TBM is currently being assembled at the Swargate launching sh...