The first 4 TBMs, manufactured by Herrenknecht,  for SRL East will begin arriving on site next year. The TBMs will be in the ground in 2026 and they will drill 16kms of twin tunnels between Cheltenham and Glen Waverley. The contractor is Suburban Connect, a global consortium of renowned companies CPB Contractors, Ghella and Acciona Construction.

Two of the machines will be remanufactured after being used on the Sydney Metro project – significantly reducing the carbon footprint of SRL works. All 4 TBMs will be powered by 100% renewable electricity. 

Measuring 7.24m in diameter and between 120 and 150m long, the first TBMs will launch from Clarinda and travel up to 90m a week – 2 travelling south to Cheltenham and 2 north towards Glen Waverley. The TBMs will arrive on site for assembly in late 2025 and will start tunnelling in early 2026. 

In a world first, one of the crews operating the TBMs will be an all-women team – and more than 650 women have already applied for selection. 

Two types of TBMs will be used to match ground conditions along the SRL East alignment – 2 slurry machines will be used in the northern section, while 2 convertible machines will be used in the softer ground further south. In a Victorian first, these 2 machines will be converted from slurry to EPB machines between Heatherton and Cheltenham. 

Construction of SRL East between Cheltenham and Box Hill is forging ahead with works underway at all 6 station sites, including the TBM launch site in Burwood and the tunnel access structure in Heatherton. 

The project is backed by an $11.8 billion investment by the Labor Government and a $2.2 billion investment from the Albanese Labor Government. 

SRL East will be taking passengers in 2035, opening up access to jobs, healthcare and education in Melbourne’s east and south east, and delivering a train service for the first time to Monash and Deakin universities. 

For further information please click here and au/39 for information in the tunnelbuilder archives.

 Visit https://bigbuild.vic.gov.au, https://www.premier.vic.gov.au. 39/24.