The last tunnel boring machines (TBMs) used on Sydney Metro projects are being removed from beneath the Sydney CBD, marking the end of a major phase of tunnelling on the city’s rail network expansion.
TBMs Jessie and Ruby have completed excavation of the Sydney Metro West tunnels, travelling from The Bays to Hunter Street after a 34-month program that delivered 24 kilometres of twin tunnels between Westmead and the CBD.
The 1,100-tonne machines are now being dismantled and lifted from 27 metres below ground at the future Hunter Street Station site, with each TBM removed in around 16 large components.
The retrieval process involves transporting the oversized components through central Sydney during night hours to minimise disruption, before they are moved via major arterial roads to Newcastle. From there, selected parts will be returned to German manufacturer Herrenknecht.
Key components, including the 90-tonne cutterheads, will be recycled after reaching the end of their operational lifespan.
With tunnelling now complete across four Sydney Metro projects, work will continue on station cavern reinforcement and lining at Hunter Street.
Once operational, Sydney Metro West is expected to significantly increase rail capacity between Greater Parramatta and the Sydney CBD, supporting population growth, new housing and improved connectivity across the region.
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