First Crossrail TBM assembled

Crossrail announced last week that the first Royal Oak TBM had been assembled. UK Prime Minister David Cameron and Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy visited site to see progress. Rajoy’s interest due to the presence of Ferrovial’s UK subsidiary, Ferrovial Agroman in the Bam Ferrovial Kier (BFK) contracting joint venture.

The TBM will be launched in March to bore 6.4km towards Farringdon Station from the Royal Oak portal. A second TBM will be launched a month later to on the parallel drive. Both of the machines that will excavate the western running tunnels are Herrenknecht 7.1m EPBMs.