TBMs assembled for Sydney harbour rail crossing

The two TBMs will dig the 2.3km twin tunnels from The Bays, under Sydney Harbour, to Hunter Street in the Sydney CBD as part of the Sydney Metro West – Eastern Tunnelling Package. They are the last of six TBMs being used on the 24km Sydney Metro West line. 

The TBMs arrived in 32 pieces by ship (16 for each TBM) at White Bay port last month. They are now being assembled in the 34m-deep station box at The Bays, ahead of their launch later this year. 

The 1100-tonne machines will journey parallel to Anzac Bridge, towards the new Pyrmont Station site, and then under Darling Harbour before reaching the Hunter Street Station site in the heart of the CBD.    

The mixed shield (slurry) TBMs are designed to excavate through sandstone and under the harbour. This will be the second under harbour crossing undertaken by Sydney Metro using this technology following the successful crossing between Blues Point and Barangaroo as part of the City & Southwest project.    

Once launched, the TBMs will advance at an average rate of 90m per week and will arrive at the Hunter Street Station site in mid-2025. 

The Eastern Tunnelling Package is being delivered by John Holland, CPB Contractors (CPB) and Ghella joint venture (JCG JV).

In early March, TBMs Beatrice and Daphne were relaunched from Five Dock Metro Station site to build the new metro tunnels from The Bays to Sydney Olympic Park. Their next stop will be 2km away at the future Burwood North Metro Station site.

The two machines made tunnelling history in December last year when they arrived at Five Dock Station site minutes apart to achieve the first double TBM breakthrough in the southern hemisphere.

The 24km Sydney Metro West – scheduled to open in 2032 – will double rail capacity between Greater Parramatta and the Sydney CBD, linking new communities to rail services and supporting housing supply.