TBM1 Elizabeth celebrates 1 year
23.09.2015
Tunnel boring machine (TBM) 1 Elizabeth celebrated one year of tunnelling on Australia's biggest public transport project with another major milestone. The first of Sydney Metro Northwest's four TBMs arrived at the future Castle Hill station on 9 September – a year after she started digging from Bella Vista.
Tunnel boring machine (TBM) 1 Elizabeth celebrated one year of tunnelling on Australia's biggest public transport project with another major milestone.
The first of Sydney Metro Northwest's four TBMs arrived at the future Castle Hill station on 9 September – a year after she started digging from Bella Vista.
After undergoing maintenance and being moved through the Castle Hill site, TBM1 will begin the journey toward her final destination at Cherrybrook which is 2.5 kilometres away. She's expected to complete her tunnelling task early next year.
TBM1 Elizabeth TUNNELLING FAST FACTS:
During her year of tunnelling from the Bella Vista site via Norwest and Showground to Castle Hill, TBM1:
- Excavated more than 600,750 tonnes of crushed rock, both sandstone and shale
- Installed 21,438 concrete segments to line the new rail tunnel
- Had 620 hardened steel cutters on her cutter head replaced.
Since leaving Showground in July 2015, TBM1:
- Had its conveyor belt extended by almost 3.5 kilometres
- Has been home to tunnelling crews of 15 workers, maintenance crews, geologists, surveyors and engineers, who combined, have spent more than 30,700 hours underground.