The first of five-mega tunnel boring machines (TBMs) which will deliver the next stage of Sydney Metro is prepared to start digging deep under Sydney CBD. Taking six months to build, the TBM has now been tested to ensure it meets all of the safety and technical specifications.
The 150-m TBM, longer than two Airbus A380s, is specially designed for Sydney’s geology to cut through the hard sandstone. The first TBM will launch at Marrickville later this year and start tunnelling towards the new Waterloo Station, then under the Sydney CBD via new metro stations at Central, Pitt Street and Martin Place, before finishing at Barangaroo.
Altogether, the five TBMs will deliver new 15.5 km twin metro tunnels from Chatswood to Sydenham, including under Sydney Harbour.
Two TBMs will dig about 8.1 km from Marrickville to Barangaroo and two will cut about 6.2 km from Chatswood to Blues Point. The fifth borer has been specially designed to deliver about 1 km of tunnels under Sydney Harbour.
They are expected to tunnel about 120m a week on average.
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