Wendlingen-Ulm Line
Steinbuehl Tunnel
On 06.11.2015 at the Todsburg portal the breakthrough took place of the 4847 m long Steinbuehl tunnel. This was originally expected in the spring of 2016 but is ahead of schedule and is now open to the public.The Steinbuehl Tunnel is one of two tunnels on the 15 km long section PFA2.2 of the new line from Wendlingen to Ulm. The new line ascends the Swabian Alb in this section. While the motorway twists and turns as it climbs eastward, the railway line will cut straight through the hills. The greatest increase in altitude will take place within the 8.8 km Bossler Tunnel, the longest tunnel along the route. The tracks will resurface briefly at Wiesensteig and then cross the Fils valley via two single-track bridges (485 m and 472 m) around 85 m high. Afterwards the line continues its ascent in the 4.8 km Steinbuehl Tunnel. At Widderstall near the Merklingen municipality, the track exits the tunnel and reaches its maximum elevation of 746 m above sea level. With gradients ranging from 1.7% to 2.5%, this climb sees the two tracks run some 30 m apart.
Bossler Tunnel
On 04.11.2015 the TBM EPB Käthchen (diameter 11.39 m, weight 2,480 t, length 110 m, 4560 KW) advanced 3 km to the east. The 8.822 m tube of the Bossler tunnel, is on the last section of Ulm-Stuttgart ahead of the the access tunnel in Umpfental at Gruibingen, which is part of section PFA2.2.
Stuttgart 21
Filder Tunnel
On 12.11.2015 the multi-mode TBM, named Suse (standing for an acronym of “Stuttgart-Ulm schneller erreicht” meaning reaching Stuttgart and Ulm faster) completed its first drive, reaching 4.079 m of the total 9.468 m of the East part of the Filder tunnel (section PFA1.2) between Filderstadt and Stuttgart-Hoffeld Portal, and it also installed 1,967 rings (6 segments and keys).
The TBM, which is 120-m long with a 10.82 m shield diameter, is convertible - in the upper section of the Filder Tunnel it is a closed mode works with a screw conveyor while the lower section involves open mode with belt conveyor discharge. The TBM will drive the tunnel in individual stages. The central section in the geological transition zone will be excavated in parallel by means of loosening using blasting and diggers.
The TBM will deal with an altitude of 155 m and an incline of up to 2.5%.
The TBM will then be dismantled and it will begin the west tube on next spring 2016.
For further information on the project click de/22 for tunnelbuilder archive and here and here. Visit http://www.bahnprojekt-stuttgart-ulm.de/. 48/15.
