Crossrail completes first tunnel
10 October 2013The first Crossrail TBM has finished tunnelling in London. Crossrail announced yesterday that TBM Phyllis had reached Farringdon, the central station, ending its drive from Royal Oak, the western portal. The machine launched 17 months ago by the Bam Ferrovial Kier JV.
The machine was due to be dismantled over the following weeks as Tunnels went to press in early October, and the 130m-long trailer system will be removed from the tunnel via the recently completed Fisher Street shaft. Crossrail is asking Londoners to submit ideas for items to be included in a time capsule at the Farringdon site to mark the first completed tunnel.
Andy Mitchell, Crossrail's programme director added, "This week, the final pre-cast concrete rings will be cast at Crossrail's temporary concrete segment factory for the western tunnels at Old Oak Common.
"More than 1,000 people are working on the western tunnel section of the project, building new train tunnels between Royal Oak at Farringdon, and new passenger, platform and service tunnels for new stations at Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road and Farringdon."
The Crossrail TBMs have collectively reached the halfway point of excavation, having tunnelled 21km of a 42km total. The other western tunnels TBM, Ada, was in the Holborn area as Tunnels went to press and was due to complete tunnelling during the winter, while the other six machines elsewhere on the project will finish tunnelling next year.
