Work on the Sydney Metro City and Southwest project in Australia has reached a key milestone with its first tunnel boring machine (TBM) breakthrough. A TBM named Nancy – one of five working on the 15.5km twin bore tunnels between Chatswood and Marrickville – broke through into Waterloo Station. Nancy, who was named after transport pioneer Nancy Bird-Walton, was launched from Marrickville in October 2018 and has bored a 3.1km section of tunnel by removing 304,000t of material.

The TBM has broken into the Waterloo Station box which has been constructed by joint venture contractors John Holland CPB Ghella and is 26m below ground. Nancy will undergo maintenance over the next two weeks before being relaunched from the other end of the station box to drive an 8.1km tunnel Barangaroo via new metro stations at Central, Pitt Street and Martin Place.

Another TBM – named Mum Shirl – is driving the twin bore and is a few hundred metres away from also breaking into the Waterloo Station box. For further information please visit https://www.geplus.co.uk/news/sydney-metro-celebrates-first-tunnelling-breakthrough-08-04-2019/

BY CLAIRE SMITH