Two tunnel boring machines (TBMs) working to construct the mega Sydney Metro West tunnels have made a smashing entrance 24-metres below the surface at the Clyde Metro junction caverns.
This latest milestone means that over 80% of the 24-kilometre twin metro railway tunnels for the city-shaping project.
“This is another huge step forward as we deliver the largest new public transport project Western Sydney has seen in generations while also turbocharging the delivery of new homes,” said Premier, Chris Minns.
“These fast and reliable new metro services will double rail capacity between the Sydney CBD and Parramatta and will be a gamechanger, getting more people around our city faster.
“I want to thank the thousands of workers who have gotten this project to this point and will be working around the clock until Australia’s largest public transport project is opened.”
TBM Dorothy broke through the solid rock walls to arrive at the giant junction caverns last month, after spending three months tunnelling 1.1 kilometres from Clyde. TBM Betty was tracking slightly ahead, arriving at Clyde junction caverns in December last year. TBM Betty spent seven weeks traversing the cavern is now tunnelling towards Parramatta.
This junction cavern at Clyde will play a critical role in the Sydney Metro network as it connects the metro tunnels with the above ground stabling and maintenance facility, where the network’s new fleet of trains will be housed when not in service.
Since starting their westward tunnelling journey in September 2024, TBMs Betty and Dorothy have been working around the clock to excavate about 200 metres of tunnel each week.
So far, the TBMs have carved out 5.7-kilometres of twin tunnels between Sydney Olympic Park and Clyde, removing more than 1.1 million tonnes of material, equivalent to about 180 Olympic-size swimming pools.
Along the way, the TBMs have installed more than 41,000 precast concrete segments to line the new tunnel walls. Each precast segment weighs about 3.8 tonnes, with six segments pieced together to form one ring around the tunnel.
“Like their standout namesakes, these huge tunnelling machines are breaking new ground, which will have a lasting impact and transform the way Sydney’s west moves for generations to come,” said NSW Minister for Transport, John Graham.
“The TBMs are headed for Parramatta, Sydney’s second biggest business district, as they continue to carve out this game-changing new railway line that is expected to move 30,000 passengers every hour during the morning peak when it opens in 2032.”
Both TBMs will now build a further 1.1-kilometre section of tunnels to reach the site of the future Parramatta Metro Station by mid-year.
The project is set to double rail capacity between the Sydney CBD and Parramatta CBD.
