Sydney Metro West launches its sixth and final tunnel boring machine

The Sydney Metro West development has marked another milestone with the final tunnel boring machine (TBM) launched and making its way to carve out the last section of tunnel for the city-shaping project. 

TBM Ruby has been launched from The Bays site, joining TBM Jessie in building the 2.3-kilometre twin tunnels that will take metro services deep below the harbour and creating another key connection into the heart of the city for those living in Sydney’s west. 

TBM Ruby is named after women’s rights activist and Australia’s first radio astronomer Ruby Payne-Scott. This TBM is the sixth and final machine to be launched to build the 24-kilometre Sydney Metro West tunnels. 

The 1,100-tonne machine will operate around the clock, seven days a week and slowly move along the iconic Anzac Bridge, through the Pyrmont Station site, and under the Darling Harbour before emerging at the Hunter Street site in the Sydney CBD. 

Meanwhile, TBM Jessie is also hard at work digging and building the parallel tunnel – with about 615 metres excavated and 2,238 concrete segments installed to line the new tunnel walls since it commenced its tunnelling journey in June of this year. 

The two TBMs are expected to excavate a total of 460,000 tonnes of material and install 16,536 concrete segments when building the twin tunnels between The Bays and Hunter Street. 

TBMs Ruby and Jessie are making their way towards Pyrmont Station where they will traverse the station cavern and re-launch to move towards Hunter Street Station. 

Both TBMs are mixed shield (slurry) machines that are specifically designed for the Metro West project to excavate in the highly pressurised conditions under Sydney Harbour. 

Parts of both TBMs came from the TBMs used to build the Sydney Metro City & Southwest tunnels. 

TBMs Ruby and Jessie are expected to arrive at the Hunter Street site in mid to late 2025. 

Once completed, Sydney Metro West will double the rail capacity between Parramatta and the Sydney CBD. It will provide commuters with fast, reliable, turn-up-and-go metro services with fully accessible stations as well as connect new communities to rail services. 

Not only will this massive transport infrastructure project support employment growth, but it will also help boost housing supply. 

Sydney Metro West is expected to create about 10,000 direct and 70,000 indirect jobs during its construction phase. 

The project is anticipated to be completed and operational in 2032. 

Source: NSW Government – Sydney Metro (1, 2); Inside Construction; Infrastructure Magazine