Sydney's Metro West Line: Tunnel-Boring Machine Arrives After 17-Month Delay

A tunnel-boring machine, Dorothy, has finally arrived at a large hole dug in central Parramatta for Sydney's Metro West rail project after a six-week delay caused by concerns over a building's foundations. The project, valued at $25.3 billion, aims to create a 24-kilometer line between Sydney Olympic Park and Parramatta. About 90% of tunnelling for Metro West has been completed, with boring machines expected to reach both ends of the line by year-end.

A significant milestone has been achieved in the Sydney Metro West project, with tunnel-boring machine (TBM) Dorothy arriving at the Parramatta station box after a six-week delay. The delay was caused by concerns over the foundations of a nearby building [1]. The arrival of TBM Dorothy marks the completion of 90% of the tunnelling for the Sydney Metro West project, which aims to create a 24-kilometer line between Sydney Olympic Park and Parramatta [1].

The Sydney Metro West project, valued at $25.3 billion, has been a key infrastructure initiative for the NSW Government. The project aims to transform Parramatta into a vibrant precinct with a new metro station anchoring a mixed-use development over the equivalent of two city blocks. The new Metro station is close to Light Rail services and will link directly to the new Civic Link, a 450-metre-long pedestrian spine connecting the metro precinct to the future Powerhouse Parramatta [1].

The tunnelling process has been extensive, with two TBMs, Betty and Dorothy, chewing through 200 metres of Sydney sandstone every week since early 2024. This has resulted in the excavation of 1.25 million tonnes of rock - enough to fill the Olympic pool at Sydney Olympic Park 204 times over [1]. The TBMs have installed more than 48,000 precast concrete segments to line the tunnels, which is equivalent to the weight of three and a half Sydney Harbour Bridges or 317 Airbus A380s [1].

The Sydney Metro West project is expected to double rail capacity, link new communities, support the growth of housing and jobs in Western Sydney, and bring the two centres significantly closer together [1]. The project has a target open date of 2032 [1].

The NSW Government's focus on housing affordability and infrastructure development near public transport is a key aspect of the Sydney Metro West project. By improving affordability, reducing building and infrastructure costs, and building a better NSW, the project aligns with the government's broader economic and social goals [1].

The arrival of TBM Dorothy at Parramatta is a significant step towards the completion of the Sydney Metro West project. With 90% of the tunnelling completed and the boring machines expected to reach both ends of the line by year-end, the project is on track to meet its target open date of 2032.

References:
[1] https://www.miragenews.com/metro-tunnel-transformation-under-parramatta-1503978/