Tunnelling complete for City Rail Link
On the evening of Wednesday 14 September our Dame Whina Cooper tunnel boring machine (TBM) had her final breakthrough into Te Waihorotiu Station (Aotea). This milestone marked the end of the boring phase for the project and the completion of the two 3.45km-long City Rail Link (CRL) tunnels. A special twilight event was held onsite to mark the occasion (see video above).
At the event, speeches were presented by CRL Chief Executive Sean Sweeney, Link Alliance Project Director Francois Dudouit, Dame Whina Cooper's daughter Hinerangi Cooper, Auckland Mayor Phil Goff and Associate Minister of Transport Kieran McAnulty.
Many hidden talents were discovered on the night as our very own workers took to the stage for the musical performances before the breakthrough moment.
The TBM was named after a truly ground-breaking New Zealander, Dame Whina Cooper, and has been the star of this project. Her hard work will forever alter how people travel around Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland).
What happens to the TBM now?
The TBM is currently being dismantled and lifted out of the underground where the machine broke through. It will then be transported to the Auckland port and shipped back to its manufacturer, Herrenknecht, in China.
Can it be used again?
The TBM is currently getting ready to be shipped back to China where the manufacturer will be able to reuse parts to build new machines for future projects.
What’s next for the project?
Now that we have built two beautiful tunnels, the project will move into the rail system stage – while construction of the CRL stations continues. The complex work involves the railway systems, signals, tracks and other infrastructure so that it can hook up to the existing Auckland rail network.
