AUSTRALIA: Two Suburban Rail Loop TBMs have been lowered into the Burwood launch shaft in Melbourne, positioning the 500-tonne shields for tunnelling toward Glen Waverley using Victoria’s first umbilical launch method.

Suburban Rail Loop TBMs Alice and Hacia are in Burwood’s launch shaft before tunnelling begins toward Glen Waverley in Melbourne.
Photo: Victorian Government

Umbilical launch changes the assembly sequence

The 31 July project update said the shields were assembled at ground level and placed in the shaft with a specialised heavy-lifting crane. This allowed work to continue both inside the launch site and on the surface during assembly.

Under the umbilical method, the front of each machine begins excavating before the entire TBM has been built. Long cables and hoses connect the working section to power and support systems at the surface. Once the first tunnel section has been excavated, crews will install the remaining machine sections, bringing each fully assembled TBM to approximately 120 metres in length.

Alice will launch first, followed by Hacia, with both machines heading south toward Glen Waverley. Their names recognise Melbourne musician and producer Alice Ivy and construction-industry advocate Hacia Atherton, founder of Empowered Women in Trades.

Don’t miss…Amtrak Weekly News Review for July 27–August 2, 2026

Four TBMs will launch from Burwood

Excavation of a second launch site is advancing at the northern end of the Burwood worksite. Two additional machines are scheduled to launch from there toward Box Hill in 2027, while crews are also preparing to excavate the future Burwood station box. The station is planned to give Deakin University its first direct train connection.

The wider SRL East tunnelling programme requires eight TBMs to excavate 26 kilometres of twin tunnels between Cheltenham and Box Hill. Four will launch from Burwood and four from Clarinda. The tunnels will sit at an average depth of 26 metres and reach approximately 60 metres at their deepest point, while the machines may advance by up to 90 metres per week depending on ground conditions.

More than 4,000 people are now working on SRL East. Construction is under way across the Cheltenham–Box Hill section, with passenger services scheduled to begin in 2035.

News on railway transport, industry, and railway technologies from Railway Supply that you might have missed:

Don’t miss…Passenger Rail Weekly Review: July 27–August 2, 2026