VTA launches TBM naming contest

The 16.5m diameter Herrenknecht TBM, which is expected to be delivered next year, will bore the 8km tunnel section of the 9.6km extension.

It will be shipped from Kehl, Germany to California where it will be reassembled at the West Portal, located at the future Newhall Yard. Reassembly will take around six months.

After being launched from the West Portal, the TBM will advance 9-12m a day towards the Berryessa/North San Jose BART Station. It will take three to four years to complete the 8km tunnel. 

VTA is seeking a name for the TBM that reflects the spirit of the project and honours a prominent female figure from, or associated with, Santa Clara County or the local communities that surround the project area.

The deadline for entries is April 29. The prize will include a tour for four people of the West Portal TBM construction launch site.

The BSVII project will take the BART service from Berryessa/North San José through downtown San José to the City of Santa Clara. It includes three stations with underground platforms (28th Street/Little Portugal, Downtown San José, and Diridon), one ground-level station (Santa Clara), a train maintenance and storage facility at Newhall Yard, and additional facilities.

In 2022 Kiewit Shea Traylor joint venture (KSTJV) was awarded the design-build contract for the tunnel and trackwork.