TBM Else - the first of Cross River Rail’s two 1350 t TBMs in Brisbane - has been moved into position underground in the Woolloongabba site’s station cavern to commence tunnelling on the Cross River Rail tunnels between the Woolloongabba site and the northern tunnel portal at Spring Hill later this month.  

TBM Else, named after trailblazing female engineer Else Shepherd AM, will emerge at the project’s northern portal at Normanby towards the end of the year, after it has finished tunnelling under the Brisbane River and CBD.  

Cross River Rail’s other mega machine – TBM Merle – will follow shortly after.  

The TBMs will excavate the bulk of Cross River Rail’s 5.9 km of twin tunnels right under the Brisbane River and CBD.  

From Woolloongabba, the TBMs will tunnel under the river and break through to Albert Street station at a depth of 31 m in mid-2021 and continue to Roma Street before emerging at the project’s northern portal at Normanby. The tunnels will be lined with 25,000 precast concrete segments, weighing 4.2 t each.  

Roadheaders are also tunnelling south from the Woolloongabba underground station to the new Boggo Road underground station. The excavation is followed by the installation of ground support techniques such as inserted rock bolts (metal rods) and concrete which is sprayed on the tunnel lining for strength.  

Cross passages are being built using a number of different construction methodologies including road headers and controlled blasting Tunnelling for both the TBM and roadheader tunnels is expected to be completed by late-2021.   

Throughout the project, survey works will be conducted on the surface along the tunnel alignment to measure ground water, vibration and subsidence.   

For further information please click here for a video, here and au/37 for tunnelbuilder archive and visit https://crossriverrail.qld.gov.au  and https://statements.qld.gov.au/. 01/21.