On 18.09.2015 TBM3 Isabelle, one of four machines excavating the 15km twin tube tunnels from Bella Vista to Epping, broke through. It’s the first Sydney Metro Northwest TBM to reach the end of the line.

TBM3 Isabelle, started on 03.11.2014 from Cherrybrook, and completed her journey after digging almost 6km of Australia’s longest railway tunnels, and will soon be dismantled.

Isabelle dug the deepest section of the new railway tunnels, 58m below Thompson’s Corner at West Pennant Hills.

TBM3 during her journey excavated more than 515,000 tons of crushed rock, both sandstone and shale; installed more than 20,000 concrete segments to line the new rail tunnel; she had 650 hardened steel cutters on her cutter head replaced; and on June 30 she tunnelled 80m in one day alone,.

The Epping Services Facility will be used for fresh air tunnel ventilation and as an emergency access point to the tunnels below once Sydney’s new trains start running in the first half of 2019. 

On 09.09.2015 TBM1 Elizabeth broke through into the site of the future Castle Hill station. TBM1 Elizabeth has travelled 6.5km since her journey began at Bella Vista  on 08.09.2014; excavated more than 600,000 tons of rock, both sandstone and shale; and had 620 hardened steel cutters on her cutter head replaced. TBM1 Elizabeth, named after local colonial pioneer Elizabeth Rouse, has 2.5km left to dig before reaching her final destination of Cherrybrook, which is expected early next year.

On 26.08.2015, after digging almost 4km in 7 months,  TBM4 Maria passed through Cheltenham with the top 3 m of its cutter head above ground. View the video https://youtu.be/ZxGbldieWy8. The Cheltenham site will be used for fresh air tunnel ventilation and as an emergency access point to the tunnels below when metro trains start operating in 2019.More than 75 per cent of tunnelling is now complete. Click here and au/11 for tunnelbuilder archive. Visit http://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/ and http://nwrail.transport.nsw.gov.au/. 39/15.