On 16/7/2021 the TBM Sofia (length 106 m, weight 1450 t) arrived in the future Serge Gainsbourg station (Les Lilas). The machine has now completed the tunnel for the 6 km metro Line 11 extension, which will connect Mairie des Lilas and  Rosny-Bois Perrier stations by 2023, with 6 new stations.  

TBM Sofia has driven 3 km in 15 months with a 14 m/day advancement, it extracted 200,000 m3 of spoil and connected the 4 future stations of Serge Gainsbourg, Place Carnot, Montreuil-Hôpital and La Dhuys.

A 250 m tunnel, previously built with NATM method between the Mairie des Lilas station and the future Serge Gainsbourg station, connects the existing line with the new extension. The viaduct of the future Coteaux Beauclair station and the cut & cover tunnel of Rosny-Bois Perrier were also connected. The future station of Serge Gainsbourg, the second station on line 11 in the city of Les Lilas, will be used by 15,000 travelers per day.

The TBM owes its name to Sofia Amalou, a RATP agent who welcomes passengers on Line 11 to the station every day.  Click here and fr/81 for the tunnelbuilder archive and visit https://www.iledefrance-mobilites.fr/ and https://www.ratp.fr/. 29/21.