Melbourne’s future engineers and construction workers recently toured the Suburban Rail Loop (SRL) site in Heatherton to learn about the giant machines that will start tunnelling this year.
The tour of the eastern tunnel entrance was part of a long-term initiative, with students from local primary schools nominated each year to become Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) Captains.
When SRL East opens in 2035, these students will be among the first to ride SRL trains to work, university and TAFE.
These curious kids asked our project experts some great questions – including ‘are there beds in the TBMs for the crew?’ (TBMs are fully equipped with facilities for workers, including an office, kitchen and toilets, but they don’t have beds). Each year, they'll be able to learn more about SRL as the project progresses and report back to their class.
The first 78-tonne TBM cutterhead has arrived in Melbourne ready to carve the twin tunnels later this year.
TBMs will launch from Clarinda to dig the 16km southern section of tunnels between Cheltenham and Glen Waverley, and TBMs will start in Burwood to dig the 10km section between Glen Waverley and Box Hill.
Two tunnel entrances are being built at Heatherton on the site of the future train stabling facility – where the SRL East trains will come to the surface for cleaning and maintenance.
Construction of SRL East is powering ahead, with more than 3000 people already working on the project.
SRL East will offer direct connections to Monash and Deakin universities, and Box Hill Institute – making it easier for these students to follow their dreams and become the next generation of engineers.