On-board the massive machines digging tunnels for the new Sydney Metro lines
The Daily Telegraph has been given exclusive access to the Tunnel Boring Machines building the new Metro West and Western Sydney Airport Metro lines.
NSW
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Massive borers drilling the Western Sydney Airport Metro’s northern tunnels are more than halfway to St Marys, as the government races to finish the crucial transport link in time for when planes land at the new airport in late 2026.
Meanwhile, massive machines have resumed digging through ground 30 metres under Five Dock to continue the reworked Metro West project.
The Daily Telegraph was given exclusive access to the two Metro projects to see two Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) in action as they make slow but steady progress building the tunnels which will one day take thousands of commuters under the city.
Tunnels for the Western Sydney Airport Metro line is currently being built by four TBMs. Two of those – nicknamed Catherine and Marlene – are more than halfway through their 4.3 kilometre journey from Orchard Hills to St Marys.
They have removed enough spoil to fill about 74 Olympic swimming pools, installing 14,514 precast concrete segments to build the tunnel walls.
The southern tunnels – from the Airport Business Park to the Aerotropolis – are being built by TBMs Eileen and Peggy. Those machines are about two kilometres into their 5.5 kilometre journey.
The Metro will travel above ground between St Marys and the Airport Business Park.
The Telegraph inspected TBM Marlene digging towards St Marys at an average speed of 120 metres per week.
The tunnels to St Marys are expected to be completed in the middle of this year, with the project “on schedule” to be finished by when the airport opens.
“Today we are absolutely on schedule to deliver that, but there is just less than three years to go, so we will continue to have that laser focus for operations in line with airport commissioning, Western Sydney Airport Project Director Angela Jeffrey said.
Closer to the city, twin borers Beatrice and Daphne have resumed building the tunnels for the Metro West project at Five Dock.
Both TBMs are tunnelling west towards Sydney Olympic Park, after starting at The Bays.
The machines, which are making an average of 200 metres of progress each week, arrived at Five Dock minutes apart in December 2023.
The project is due to be finished by 2032.
“The tunnelling itself has another year and a half to go,” Metro West Project Director Daniel Powrie said.
The reworked Metro West project will have up to two more stations than originally planned for under the Coalition, including at Rosehill.
“I think additional stations This is a big challenge. But we’ll work with other parts of government see if we can make that happen,” Mr Powrie said.
Transport Minister Jo Haylen described the Metro tunnelling as a “once in a generation investment into transport infrastructure”.
“As Sydney grows, fully-accessible and reliable rail services are crucial to keep our city moving.
“By the end of the year, six enormous tunnel boring machines will be crushing through rock to deliver 24 kilometres of brand new metro tunnels beneath Sydney,” she said.
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