On 29.01.2015 the TBM Elizabeth (1,000 t weight and 7 m diameter) successfully broke into the eastern end of Liverpool Street Crossrail station in London, UK. The breakthrough, 40m beneath the City, is part of Crossrail’s longest tunnel drive, 8.3 km from Limmo Peninsula, near Canning Town, to Farringdon. Elizabeth now has a further 750 m of tunnel to bore to her final destination at Farringdon station for the east/west breakthrough. Sister machine Victoria is following a few weeks behind.

Eight 1,000 t TBMs have bored over 39 km of new 6.2 m-diameter rail tunnels under London as part of Europe’s largest infrastructure project. Construction is also advancing on the ten new Crossrail stations, and on works above ground west of Paddington and east of Stratford.

During 2015, Crossrail's major tunnelling works will conclude, and the focus will shift towards fit-out and implementing railway systems within the tunnels and stations. Click here for the video and uk/40 for tunnelbuilder archive. Visit http://www.crossrail.co.uk. 06/15.