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Hanoi Metro Line 3 Completes TBM Breakthrough

2026-05-12

Hanoi Metro Line 3 has achieved a major tunnelling milestone with the successful breakthrough of the second tunnel boring machine (TBM) at Hanoi Station in Vietnam.

Two 6.55-m diameter Herrenknecht EPB Shields, deployed by the Hyundai Engineering & Construction–Ghella JV, excavated 2.9 km each of parallel metro tunnel. The first machine reached its destination in December 2025, while the second has now completed breakthrough, marking Vietnam’s first major TBM-excavated metro tunnels.

The TBMs were designed to handle Hanoi’s challenging geological conditions, including soft soils, high groundwater levels and the need to protect sensitive historic structures at the surface.

The twin tunnel forms part of the Metro Line 3 extension. Four new stations—Kim Ma, Cat Linh, Van Mieu and Hanoi Station—are expected to enable up to 200,000 passengers per day to travel more quickly through Vietnam’s capital.