Latest to come into service is the fourth TBM, Maria, which is named after 19th century Aboriginal rights advocate Maria Lock.
“All four of our mega tunnelling machines are now in the ground as we get on with the job of delivering this critical $8.3 billion investment in public transport as quickly as possible,” said minister for transport Gladys Berejiklian.
The North West Rail Link is the first transport project in Australian construction history to use four TBMs. “After starting four months early in September last year, tunnelling is now well under way as we deliver Australia’s longest railway tunnels – twin 15 kilometre tunnels from Bella Vista to Epping,” said Berejiklian.
So far, more than 278,000t of crushed rock has been excavated by the first three TBMs. Elizabeth - named after colonial pioneer Elizabeth Rouse - has dug more than 1.8km of tunnel so far from Bella Vista and Florence - named for Australia’s first female architect and engineer Florence Mary Taylor – has dug more than 710 metres from the same starting area. The third machine, Isabelle, is named after four-year-old Isabelle Andersen to represent the tunnel builders’ families and has now travelled more than 150m.
The fourth machine, Maria, will like Isabelle dig 6km from Cherrybrook to Epping. She will dig an average of 120m a week, mostly through Sydney sandstone and shale.
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