Delhi Metro Rail Corridor

New Delhi, India

The Delhi Metro project involves construction of an 11 km underground rail line and a 41 km surface/elevated rail line intersecting at the Inter State Bus Terminal (ISBT).  Maunsell is the lead consultant for the 4.3 km underground design and construct contract linking ISBT with Delhi University including four underground stations.  The design responsibility includes developing definitive designs for architectural, rail, civil, structural, geotechnical, mechanical and electrical disciplines.

The passenger stations are designed to cater for up to 60,000 commuters per hour per direction during peak hours.  Specialised computer software is used to model pedestrian flows and optimise the locations of facilities including ticket booths, stairs and escalators.  Due to restricted right of way and geotechnical conditions, two of the stations are designed for top-down construction using diaphragm walls.

The other stations and the rail tunnels are designed for bottom-up construction using temporary sheetpiles, rockbolts and open excavations.  A key aspect of the design development was integrating the multi-disciplinary requirements of the rail system and operations, passenger and operational facilities, mechanical and electrical systems into the confined structural space inherent in underground construction.