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Second Cross River Rail TBM reaches Roma Street

Two workers watch on as the TBM cutterhead clears the headwall
Two workers watch on as the TBM cutterhead clears the headwall
Two workers watch on as the TBM cutterhead clears the headwall.

Brisbane Cross River Rail’s second Tunnel Boring Machine, Merle, has broken through at the Roma Street underground cavern, joining TBM Else which arrived there earlier this month.

The breakthrough marks a major milestone in construction of Cross River Rail, a new 10.2 kilometre rail line from Dutton Park to Bowen Hills.

The two 1350-tonne TBMs have been excavating 2.5 kilometres of twin tunnels under the Brisbane River and CBD from Woolloongabba to Normanby since early 2021, passing under Albert Street and breaking through at Roma Street.

The two TBMs will take about four weeks to traverse the Roma Street cavern on a skidding system and would then continue on to the project’s northern portal, where they would break through by the end of the year.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said Cross River Rail was an important part of the state’s COVID-19 Economic Recovery Plan, injecting more than $4 million a day into the economy and employing more than 2900 workers, including more than 370 directly working on the twin tunnels.

“Major infrastructure projects backed by my government are creating jobs and rebuilding Queensland’s economy,” the Premier said.

“Twin tunnels now connect the future Roma Street and Woolloongabba Cross River Rail stations, which were important selling points in our bid to secure the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

“This is the same route people will travel in the future to get to where they need to be, including between the athletics and swimming events at the 2032 Games.”

The Roma Street station precinct will play a key role during Brisbane’s Olympics Games in 2032 when it will provide sports fans easy access to The Gabba stadium as a key Olympics venue.

TBM Merle is named after women rights activist Merle Thornton AM. Mrs Thornton has written several academic papers on feminism and women’s rights, and just this year at the age of 90, published Merle Thornton: Bringing The Fight, a memoir about her life and her activism.

To track Cross River Rail’s TBMs, visit the project’s website.


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