Local residents were given a firsthand look at two of the Suburban Rail Loop’s mighty tunnel boring machines (TBMs) at the Burwood Community Open Day.
The giant machines will start tunnelling towards Glen Waverley later this year, building the twin tunnels for SRL East.
Community members joined guided tours of the site, where they learned how TBMs Alice and Hacia will excavate the tunnels, how soil will be removed during construction and how works are progressing to prepare for the future SRL station in Burwood.
The TBMs are named in honour of Melbourne musician Alice Ivy and construction industry trailblazer Hacia Atherton, founder of Empowered Women in Trades, recognising two women who have made significant contributions in their respective fields.
Primary school students who helped name the TBMs were also part of the day.
TBM Captains from Kerrimuir, Essex Heights and Huntingdale primary schools were given VIP access, and will share updates with their classmates as SRL East is built.
Families also enjoyed face painting, colouring activities and food stalls.
SRL East will link major education, health and employment precincts across Melbourne’s east, with six new underground stations at Cheltenham, Clayton, Monash, Glen Waverley, Burwood and Box Hill – delivering a train service for the first time to Monash and Deakin universities.
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