The joint venture between Acciona and Ferrovial achieved a significant milestone on the Sydney Metro West project, marking a first in the southern hemisphere. Two tunnel boring machines (TBMs) successfully broke through simultaneously, a feat that underscores the project's groundbreaking progress.
This breakthrough is a pivotal moment for the NSW Government's Sydney Metro West initiative, showcasing the first-ever "double breakthrough" in the southern hemisphere. The joint venture, known as AF JV, secured the central tunnelling contract for Sydney Metro West in July 2021. Their scope involves constructing 11 kilometers of twin tunnels and establishing five new stations at key locations like the Bays, Five Dock, Burwood North, North Strathfield, and Sydney Olympic Park.
TBMs named Daphne and Beatrice completed a 4.3-kilometer section of twin metro tunnels, arriving at Five Dock after a seven-month journey from the Bays site. Bede Noona, Acciona's chief executive officer for Australia & New Zealand, praised the team for this remarkable achievement, emphasizing the dedication and expertise demonstrated in shaping the city through this project.
These colossal 1,300-ton double shield hard rock machines will undergo maintenance over the next few weeks before continuing their journey to Sydney Olympic Park. So far, they've excavated an impressive 437,463 tons of material each and installed 30,732 precast concrete segments to line the new tunnel walls.
Preparations for the TBMs' arrival involved removing 286,047 tons of material from the Five Dock station cavern, creating an expansive 22-meter-wide and 30-meter-deep underground structure. The TBMs are scheduled to reach Burwood North in early 2024, marking the next phase of their journey.
Meanwhile, Sydney Metro West has recently shortlisted bidders for major contract packages, aiming to design and construct five metro stations. The shortlisted teams include CPB Contractors, Lendlease Construction, Metrovista (comprising Gamuda Berhad trading as Gamuda (Australia) branch, DT Infrastructure, and Besix Watpac).
The decision to proceed with Sydney Metro West follows an independent review by the NSW Government, which identified challenges such as funding constraints, market volatility, the COVID-19 pandemic, and investment uncertainties. An interim report highlighted significant technical and budget risks within the full Sydney Metro program, necessitating additional financial support. Project delays were also anticipated, potentially impacting the original target opening date of 2030 due to procurement schedule and plan delays for the Sydney Metro West scheme.
Sydney Metro West stands as a transformative underground railway connecting Greater Parramatta with the Sydney central business district (CBD). Notably, the project introduced Australia's first autonomous TBM in its western tunnelling package, overseen by the Gamuda Australia and Laing O’Rourke consortium. Simultaneously, the eastern tunnelling contract is being executed by a joint venture comprising John Holland, CPB Contractors, and Ghella JV. For further information please visit https://www.sydneymetro.info/west/project-overview. 53/23.
