Tunnel boring machines (TBMs) Catherine, Eileen and Peggy have completed their journeys to build rail tunnels for the Sydney Metro – Western Sydney Airport project.
TBM Peggy achieved the project’s tunnelling breakthrough after making its entrance at the Bradfield Railway Station site, which was previously known as Aerotropolis Station.
TBM Peggy’s breakthrough follows TBM Eileen’s breakthrough at Bradfield on 29 May and completes major tunnelling work to construct the 5.5km tunnels from Airport Business Park to Bradfield.
At the opposite end of the alignment, TBM Catherine was first to wrap up its tunnelling journey on 20 May. The TBM built a 4.3km tunnel from Orchard Hills to St Marys.
TBM Marlene is the final machine left to complete the final 230m of tunnel for the project and is expected to break through at St Marys in the coming weeks.
The TBMs have worked around the clock up to seven days a week to build the tunnels and have excavated 1.8 million tonnes of material, and the installation of 68,360 concrete segments to line the new tunnel walls.
Sydney Metro – Western Sydney Airport is targeted to open in line with the start of operations at the new Western Sydney International Airport.
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