Progress on Guang-Fo line in GuangzhouThe 32.2 km-long Guang-Fo Line is part of the Chinese government's Intercity Rapid Rail Project to link nine cities in Guangdong Province by 2015, including Shenzhen and Dongguan. The Guang-Fo line will provide service between Lijiao in Guangzhou and KuiqiLu in the neighbouring city of Foshan, serving 21 stations. Two 6.3 m diameter Robbins EPBs launched from a common 16 m-deep shaft are boring the parallel 2.6 km tunnels of lot 12 of the Guang-Fo line, including Jushu, Xilang, and Hedong stations. After seven months of tunnelling, the two machines are more than a month early and should break through in August and October, 2009. Records include a best month of 377 m.Both disc cutters and soft ground cutting tools are being used to excavate complex mixed face geology including weathered granite, coarse sand, and silt at pressures up to 4 bar. The tunnels are being lined with concrete segments 300 mm thick in a 5+1 arrangement. For project history, visit tunnelbuilder archive cn/16 and www.therobbinscompany.com. 33/09. The two Robbins EPBs are excavating weathered rock, sand, and silt using both disc cutters and carbide bits.