The TBM - named Maria Leopoldina - working on the construction of Line 6 of the Sao Paulo metro, in Brazil, reached its fourth stop on the route, Perdizes station, on Friday, September 29. The TBM has already advanced 3,500 m underground and installed approximately 1,650 rings.   

The work of this TBM - diameter 10.6 m and weight 2,000 t - will connect the Perdizes station with other ventilation shafts and future stations on the metro line. The machine will now continue its journey along the southern section to the next station, PUC-Cardoso de Almeida. The TBM will continue boring, passing through six more stations before reaching its final destination, the future Sao Joaquim station.  

The TBM is operated by a team of 50 workers, divided into three shifts. It is equipped with a canteen, a nurse’s cabin, a control cabin, auxiliary equipment and a conveyor belt for the more efficient and sustainable removal of excavated material.  

Sao Paulo Metro Line 6

Line 6 of the Sao Paulo Metro will connect the Brasilandia neighbourhoods in the north with Sao Joaquim station in the centre of the city, serving more than 630,000 passengers per day.  

With the opening of this new line, the travel time on this route, which today takes about one and a half hours by bus, will be reduced to just 23 minutes.  

This initiative, which represents an investment of more than EUR1.285 bn, is the largest infrastructure initiative currently underway in Latin America.  

The project is being developed as a public-private partnership (PPP) between the Government of the State of São Paulo and the concessionaire, Linha Universidade (Linha Uni). The work is being carried out by Acciona. Once completed, the line will be operated by Linha Uni for 19 years. Click br/26 for more information in the tunnelbuilder archive and visit https://www.acciona.com/. 44/23.