Fourth TBM Starts at Pajares Railway Bypass in SpainADIF- the administration responsible for the design and construction of Spain's high speed lines - officially launched on 28th January, 2006 the commencement of tunnelling of the Pajares rail bypass from the north side. The TBM which started is a Wirth-NFM Technologies machine. It is the first to start from the Asturian side in Los Pontones to drive a section of the high speed tunnel to and from Asturias. The machine is 170 m in length and weighs 2,000 tonnes. The first 40 metres of the machine is already inside the mountain in the first part of the tunnel excavated by conventional method. The remaining length of the back-up still stands outside the tunnel and will disappear inside as the TBM progresses. Visit www.nfm-technologies.com and www.wirth-europe.comThe TBM which began to operate is the one of contract 3 (Viadangos-Telledo), which corresponds to the 10.3 km east tunnel. Construction is carried out by a JV between Ferrovial Agroman, Sacyr and Cavosa. The contract also includes the segment plant, located near Sotiello, which began production weeks ago. In addition, contract 3 includes the construction, already completed, of the rock management facilities, where the excavated material will be dumped. The investment for contract 3 amounts to EUR235.59 million. The time frame is five years, including earthworks, construction of the dump site facilities and other preparatory works started about two years ago.The TBM which got underway from the Asturian side will be operated in three shifts 24 hours a day, like the three TBMs already at work from the south on the Leon side. Four of the five TBMs ordered to drive the tunnels in Leon and Asturias have now been launched. The fifth and last machine, built by Mitsubishi-Duro Felguera with Robbins design, will work on contract 4, which is the west tunnel running from Viadangos to Telledo in Asturias. The TBM parts have commenced to arrive at the portal.The Pajares tunnels, each 24.7 km in length, will cost EUR1,379 million. They should be commissioned in 2009. Read about the work progress of the Pajares bypass in E-News Weekly 5/2006. Click es/55, here, here and here. Visit www.adif.es 06/06.