TBM Sets off to Aotea

The Dame Whina Cooper tunnel boring machine (TBM) started its journey to Aotea Station this month, after last month’s successful breakthrough to Karangahape Station.

Once the TBM broke through into the Karangahape Station cavern, teams were able to use the small window of opportunity to access the cutterhead for some much needed maintenance, including the replacement of some of the cutting tools at the front in preparation for its second leg of a four-stage journey.

The 130-metre-long TBM then ‘pushed’ its way 223 metres to the northern end of the Karangahape Station cavern to resume boring.

Now well into its 785-metre-long drive from Karangahape Station to Aotea Station, the TBM is scheduled to reach the heart of Auckland’s midtown early in the new year.

Once at Aotea, the TBM shield will be dismantled and transported back to the Mt Eden site by road. The TBM back-up gantries will be pushed back to Mt Eden through the TBM tunnel that has just been excavated. From there the TBM will be readied to do it all again for the second rail tunnel dig in 2022.

Aucklanders can follow Dame Whina Cooper’s progress online at www.digcrl.co.nz – a website dedicated to the TBM, its progress and the people behind its journey (updated weekly).

The TBM breaking through into the Karangahape Station