Lisbon Metro TBM launched

Following T&TI's news that a Lovat TBM was to be used for the 1.5km Lisbon Metro Red Line Extension in Portugal the manufacturer reports that the TBM has now been successfully commissioned and begun boring.

The Model ME386SE Series 15500 9.8m diameter earth pressure balance machine has been a firm feature of tunnelling contracts in the city since 1997 during which time it has completed 4.6km of tunnelling on two metro contracts. Rechristened as "Varina" following a refurbishment carried out by Lovat, the TBM started its latest 1.5km journey from a 35m long stub tunnel at Alameda station for contractor consortium ACE, consisting of Somague, BPC, ENGIL, SPIE and SBES.