On 19/10/2021 Metrolinx introduced their naming contest for the 3 giant machines that will dig the tunnels for the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension and Scarborough Subway Extension in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). 

The TBMs, manufactured by Herrenknecht in Schwanau (Germany), are being custom-built for each respective subway project:  one machine was built for the Scarborough Subway Extension’s single tunnel and two TBM EPBs are being built for the 6.3 km Eglinton Crosstown West Extension’s twin tunnels. These last two TBMs - 130 m long with a diameter of 6.5 m - commissioned by Metrolinx/Infrastructure Ontario and Land's Corporation have successfully passed the Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) this week.  

To submit names and read the rules for the competition please use the following links: 

• Scarborough Subway Extension naming contest, visit MetrolinxEngage.com/SSE-TBM (to be linked with https://www.metrolinxengage.com/en/SSE-TBM)  
• Eglinton Crosstown West Extension naming contest, visit MetrolinxEngage.com/ECWE-TBM (https://www.metrolinxengage.com/en/ECWE-TBM) . For this particular contest, community members are invited to submit pairs of names so that both the project’s tunnel boring machines have names that go well together. 

Naming the TBMs 

The contests are open to submissions until 18/11/2021 from anyone 18 years or older but younger participants are also encouraged to participate with the help of a parent, guardian or teacher.  

After the submission period closes on 18/11/2021, a judging panel will create a short list from all the entries and these names will be posted online for the community to vote on their top choices. Winners of the naming contests will be credited and have the chance be part of a photo-op with these mammoth machines. Winning names will be announced when the TBMs arrive at their respective launch shaft sites in Scarborough and Etobicoke.  

The Scarborough Subway Extension’s TBM will leave Germany in early November while the Eglinton Crosstown West’s TBMs will leave Germany later that same month. All three machines are expected to arrive in Canada in January and are expected to start tunnelling in the spring.  

Each contest page will feature a TBM tracking tool when they set sail for Canada in November: check back for updates as they travel across the Atlantic Ocean to Canadian shores.  

For more information about the Scarborough Subway Extension click here and ca/36 for tunnelbuilder archive and visit metrolinx.com/ScarboroughSubway. For the latest Eglinton Crosstown West Extension updates, click here and ca/39 for the tunnelbuilder archive and visit metrolinx.com/EglintonWest. Also visit https://www.infrastructureontario.ca. 42/21.