Second Crossrail tunnel bore begins

Crossrail’s second tunnel boring machine (TBM) has begun tunnelling towards Paddington after breaking ground at the Royal Oak portal in west London in August. The TBM, known as Ada, is due to arrive late next year.

Work to install the major conveyor system behind the TBMs will complete once Ada is fully below ground. A total of 24km of conveyer belt will be used to remove excavated material from the western tunnels.

Keith Sibley, Crossrail area director west, said: “Our first TBM, Phyllis, has now successfully reached Paddington having carefully navigated under London Underground’s Hammersmith and City line and the Great Western Main Line.

“A second TBM, Ada, has now commenced tunnelling. Once Ada has made sufficient progress, Phyllis will move forward through the Paddington station box onwards to Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road and then Farringdon. The tunnels between Royal Oak and Farringdon will be completed in late 2013.”

Rail sidings have been constructed to allow freight trains operated by GB Railfreight to access Westbourne Park and transport the excavated material to Northfleet, Kent from where it will be shipped to Wallasea Island in Essex to create a RSPB nature reserve. A total of 66,000 tonnes of excavated material has been transported to Northfleet so far.

A further two TBMs, Elizabeth and Victoria, are currently being assembled at Limmo Peninsula beside Canning Town station for the eastern tunnels between Docklands and Farringdon. A fifth TBM, Sophia, has recently completed factory testing. Early next year, Sophia will begin constructing the 2.6km Thames Tunnel between Plumstead and North Woolwich.

In all, eight TBMs will be used to construct 21km of Crossrail’s twin-bore tunnels running between Royal Oak in west London and Pudding Mill Lane and Plumstead in east London.

Read about Crossrail’s efforts to up skill its workforce in Future PM, page 42 of the October issue of Project.

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