A Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) being paid millions daily to practice the ancient art of 'standing perfectly still' while waiting for a signature from the Railways.
The Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) has achieved a new milestone in fiscal endurance by paying several crores in 'standing charges' for a Tunnel Boring Machine that refuses to move until the Southern Railway grants it a spiritual (and literal) NOC. The TBM, currently stationed at Villivakkam, has become a local symbol of patience, outperforming most Zen masters. While the machine and its specialized crew are being paid to watch hard clay turn into slightly older hard clay, officials remain optimistic that the paperwork will arrive just in time for the technology to become obsolete.